Fishing industry faces difficulty as its season starts

IMG_0970-72-1024x678 Fishing vessels are anchored near a coast in Myeik, Taninthayi Region on 31 August 2020. Photo: Khine Htoo (IPRD)

02 Sep 2020 - Source: Global New Light of Myanmar - Although the onshore and offshore fishing boats have resumed business at the start of the fishing season, some of the boats have not raised their anchors due to worries about the declining market of this industry.
"We export all the fish to Ranong. We heard that Ranong could not ship the fish bought last year to other countries because of suspended transport. Only 30 per cent of fishing boats have started their operation. Some fishing boats' owners do not dare to leave for fishing. But they need to go their fishing boats because they need to look after their fishermen. The fishermen are facing difficulty for their livelihood after three months of suspension of work. This problem can be solved only by the fishing boats going out to sea, said U Thet Soe, the secretary of Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) in Taninthayi region.
We will know that there is difficulty in the sale of the fish after one or two weeks. We will not exactly see the demand of the Ranong market as well. To be able to penetrate other markets, we need to have the fish cold storage and bridges in Myeik. Only when we have such facilities, we can export the fish to other countries by keeping the caught fish in the cold storage and bridges, according to MFF.
"The caught fish are sold in Ranong by FOB. We heard that Ranong had not sold their fish yet and aquatic products bought last year because of COVID-19. So, the boat owners who have ten fishing boats are running only five boats," said U Tun Naung Oo, the head of Fisheries Department in Myeik District.
Taninthayi coast is located in the southern part of the country. It is the longest one among three other shores, and it is 1200 km long. Over 250,000 fishermen from 1,250 onshore and offshore fishing boats are reliant upon the Tanintharyi coast, according to the Fisheries Department in Myeik District.


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