Fishing gear and methods

TRAP FISHING

Various kinds of traps, such as squid trap, fish trap, crab trap fyke net and bamboo stake trap have traditionally been operated on a small scale in Thailand. The fishing statistical records showed a decline of catch in 1990 and 1997 these decreases were due to a drop in catch by fyke net and bamboo stake trap.

Table 7.1 Annual catches by different kinds of tra, 1990-1997 (mt)

	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997
Fish trap	1,294	1,068	1,182	1,232	1,081	559	633	1,213
Crab trap	5,038	5,449	5,846	5,659	8,141	5,879	4,981	6,074
Fyke net	10,164	9,302	9,147	8,398	8,940	7,504	6,760	5,909
Bamboo stake trap	6,804	6,489	6,489	4,388	4,408	4,023	2,770	2,362
Squid trap	6,683	7,653	6,973	6,993	7,042	7,262	6,306	7,673
Total	29,983	29,961	29,637	26,670	29,612	25,227	21,450	23,231

The main species of fish caught by each kind of trap in 1997 were as follows:

Fish trap	Catch/year (mt)
Cat-fish	138
Grouper	429
Red snapper	94
Others	552

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Total

1,213

Crab traps	Catch/year (mt)
Blue swimming crab	2,465
Mangrove crab (mud crab)	3,550
Other crab	57
Others	2

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Total

6,074

Fyke net	Catch/year (mt)
Non-penaeid prawns	3,388
Trash fish	1,027
Penaeid prawns	12
Others	1,482

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Total

5,909

Bamboo stake trap	Catch/year (mt)
Trash-fish	1,147
Anchovy	304
Indo-Pacific mackerel	326
Indian mackerel	1
Jack, cavalla, trevallies	95
Others	489

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Total

2,362

Shrimp trap	Catch/year (mt)
Cuttlefish	7,673

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Total

7,673

The squid trap and the crab trap have a very high selectivity for species.

FISHING GEAR AND METHODS