Bangkok: Fishermen using trawls to catch sea cucumbers stormed the Department of Fisheries, demanding a review of their permits, which are only valid for 20 days, compounded by soaring fuel costs.
According to Thai News Agency, fishermen from 11 provinces in the Gulf of Thailand who use cucumber trawls stormed the Department of Fisheries, demanding a review of their cucumber trawling licenses. They are currently restricted to only 20 days per year, forcing them to abandon their boats for 345 days at a time. Compounding their problems, they are facing a crisis of soaring fuel prices, reaching 40.80 baht per liter. The Director-General of the Department of Fisheries received their petition for consideration.
A group of sea cucumber trawlers from 11 provinces in the Gulf of Thailand, namely Trat, Phetchaburi, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Pattani, and Narathiwat, visited the Department of Fisheries to meet with Ms. Thitiporn Hlaoprasert, Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, to discuss their problems and request a review of the issuance of commercial fishing licenses, particularly for sea cucumber trawlers, which have severely impacted their fishing operations.
Mr. Santhat Ngowrungruang, a leader of the Gulf of Thailand cucumber trawler fishing group, revealed that they have been fishing with cucumber trawlers in the Gulf of Thailand since early 2025, having received licenses from the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. However, on March 19, 2026, when the fishermen renewed their seasonal fishing licenses, they learned that the Department of Fisheries had changed the license regulations, limiting cucumber trawlers to only 20 days of fishing per year. This has caused significant hardship for these fishermen, forcing them to vacate their boats for 345 days a year, resulting in a long-term loss of income. This is inconsistent with rising costs such as mooring fees, labor, and fuel. In their complaint, the fishermen are requesting that the Director-General of the Department of Fisheries reconsider the regulations for issuing commercial fishing licenses, particularly for cucumber trawlers, to allow them to fish every day as before. They arg ue that the 20-day limit is unreasonable and that they should at least be allowed to fish for cucumbers for over 200 days, the same as other fishing methods.
This includes the issue of fishing zones, which require fishermen to venture approximately 30 to 40 nautical miles from shore, or about 50 kilometers in some areas. This distance is considered too far from the coast, making it impossible to return to shore in time during natural disasters and preventing them from receiving information via communication tools.
Furthermore, it was stated that the current conflict in the Middle East has further exacerbated the already high fuel prices faced by fishermen. Previously, fuel for fishing boats cost 18 baht per liter, but in the past month, gas stations have increased prices three times, currently soaring to 40.80 baht per liter. Each boat uses approximately 500 liters of fuel per day. Faced with this crisis, they have had to reduce their daily fishing hours, using only about 300-400 liters of fuel to cover daily expenses and livelihoods.
Today, a network of fishermen is discussing in Samut Songkhram province the use of B20 biodiesel as a replacement for conventional diesel fuel. B20 is 5 baht per liter cheaper than regular diesel at the pump. However, even with clarity, fishermen expect it may take another 1-2 months for the biodiesel to be ready for use. This could impact the entire shipping system, as large-scale producers' current stock is expected to last until May, while small-scale fishermen's stock is estimated to only last until mid-April.
While the Director-General of the Department of Fisheries has received the matter for consideration, discussions are currently underway.