Govt to open centre to limit fishing boats

Pattani: The Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) is preparing to set up a one-stop-service centre to distribute compensation money for owners of fishing boats who wish to leave the industry as a part of the Sustainable Management of Marine Fisheries Resource Project.

Chonthun Sangpoom, deputy secretary-general of the SBPAC, visited the location of the one-stop-service centre assisting fishermen in the three southernmost provinces in tambon Bana in Muang district of Pattani province.

Mr Chonthun said that the project aims to reduce the number of fishing boats in the deep South.

He added that the centre will be operating from May 8, and the owners of 96 fishing boats are expected to be the first to be compensated for exiting the fishing industry.

On Feb 26, a cabinet resolution granted 163 million baht as a compensation fund for fishermen to…