Rayong: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has transferred nearly 600 kilometers of fishing nets, weighing almost 3 tons, to the Royal Thai Navy. This initiative aims to bolster the country's border security by utilizing these nets to prevent and counter drone threats.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, explained that the department obtained these fishing nets through donations from fishing networks and related agencies. The goal is to integrate resources to assist security forces operating in border areas. The Marine and Coastal Resources Office Region 1 is leading the collection of these fishing nets, which, although discarded by the fishing sector, still have properties suitable for security use.
The initiative saw contributions from several groups: the Rayong Marine Fisheries Protection and Suppression Center donated 1,700 kilograms, a group of anchovy purse seine fishing boats from Trat Province contributed 500 kilograms, and the Marine and Coastal Resources Office Region 10, through the Mangrove Resource Conservation Center No. 16 in Krabi Province, received 700 kilograms from the Ban Laem Sak conservation group. In total, 2,900 kilograms of fishing nets, equating to nearly 600 kilometers, were collected.
These nets have been delivered to the Trat Marine Corps Task Force and the Rear Support Center in Trat Province. The objective is to enhance the effectiveness of defenses against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and to reinforce Thailand's border security missions.