End the project
Fishermen in 13 provinces in the South have demanded the government immediately scrap the Seafood Bank Project, which has issued ownership deeds to some marine areas.
Launched during the previous administration in 2004, the project caused the following problems:1. Big investors have managed to occupy more marine areas than locals. 2. Many commercial banks have refused to accept ownership deeds for marine areas as collateral except when given other pledges like land deeds. 3. Large fishing trawlers have intruded into community areas. 4. As part of the Seafood Bank Project, contract-farming was introduced with an advance pricing system.But fishermen felt they were disadvantaged by this. When their reared fish did not meet required standards, they got a very low price. 5. Local people were left out of decision-making process. When they had enquiries the authorities failed to provide answers. 6. Local fishermen were encouraged to buy feed and medicine for their fish farms. But these expensive products raised production costs without any guarantee the fish would meet the required standards. 7. Divisions have developed in local communities as local people have fought over marine areas. 8. When using commercial feed and recomended farming techniques, there was no guarantee that the fish farms would not be contaminated. 9. The Seafood Bank Project failed to conduct environmental impact assessments. With the high concentration of fish farms along some sections of the coast, the local marine life and ecology could suffer.
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