December 29, 2003

Thailand Turns To Satellite Technology For More Tuna

Thailand aims to reduce reliance on tuna imports by equipping offshore fishing fleets with satellite technology. The move will also increase Thai operators' competitiveness, the Agriculture Ministry said.

A preliminary proposal calls for 10 vessels to be equipped with satellite technology, said Newin Chidchob, the deputy minister who oversees the Fisheries Department and Fish Marketing Organisation.

Mr Newin said satellite technology applications were especially valuable in the deep-sea fishery, given their accuracy in tracking fish. The technology can also accurately identify sea depth and density of plankton, he said.

Currently, Thailand's deep-sea fishery depends mainly on the experience and expertise of the tai kong or master of the fishing boat.

The satellite technology has been available for the last two years in Japan and Taiwan, at a cost of about 40,000 baht a month, he said.

According to Mr Newin, the technology could help reduce imports of tuna by 20%.

Thailand, one of the world's leading tuna processors, imports about 500,000 tons of tuna per year.

"The planned adoption of satellite technology would also help address the current offshore fishing problems, in which a lot of Thai fishing crews are arrested each year,'' Mr Newin said.

He cited a recent incident in which two Thai fishing boats were sunk by Indonesian authorities off northern Java and their crews charged with fishing illegally in Indonesian waters.

Thailand currently has a fishing fleet of about 4,000 vessels capable of fishing abroad, but only 800 have the proper licences to fish in foreign waters.

A total of 3,210 Thai boats were seized between 1982 to 2002, and 28,831 fishermen were arrested in the waters of countries including Vietnam, Burma, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Cambodia.