U Aung Nyi Toe, the staff officer of the Fisheries Department of Taninthayi Region, has stated that the fishing ban season for the year 2024 will be from April to June.

During this period, fewer exports are expected as offshore fishing vessels will be concentrating on catching aquatic products closer to the shore. Surplus marine products after meeting domestic demand will be sold to Thailand. While normally up to 26 vessel loads can be exported daily during the fishing period, this number will decrease to only five per day during the fishing ban season, as mentioned by U Aung Nyi Toe.

Inshore fishing vessels are the only ones permitted to fish during the ban season, with offshore fishing vessels prohibited from doing so, particularly in Yangon Region, Taninthayi Region, Ayeyawady Region, Rakhine State, and Mon State.

According to the Fisheries Department, there are a total of 884 offshore fishing vessels registered with ‘Ta’ licence for offshore fishing business, 507 with ‘Ta Wa’ licence for local offshore fishing business, and 122 vessels carrying aquatic products with offshore licence. This amounts to 1,513 registered offshore fishing vessels and 7,927 registered inshore fishing vessels Taninthayi Region boasts the highest number of registered offshore fishing vessels in Myanmar, with over 1,500 vessels, followed by Yangon Region, Ayeyawady Region, Rakhine State, and Mon State, which together have more than 1,700 offshore fishing vessels in total. The size of an offshore fishing vessel typically ranges from 15 to 40 labourers, depending on its scale.

The fishing ban season in Myanmar waters has been set from May to July in 2021, April to June in 2022, April to June in 2023, and again from April to June in 2024.

ASH/TMT

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