Myanmar’s military regime has adjusted the time frame for a nationwide three-month ban on offshore fishing, bringing forward the ban from May to April.

The three-month ban was slated to begin in May and end in July as has been the case in previous years, but as of 2022, the ban will be from April-June across Myanmar, including in Arakan State, according to the state Fisheries Department.

The decision was made in response to research from the Fisheries Department, which has conducted its survey of Myanmar’s waters together with foreign experts, said U Thet Oo, director of the Arakan State Fisheries Department.

“The research data showed that fish lay eggs earlier than the ban. So, we had a meeting in Naypyidaw to reschedule the ban. And we agreed to start the ban a month earlier. So, the ban starts in April and ends in June,” he said.

Fishing trawlers that use certain types of fishing nets will be allowed to catch fish in April, however, reportedly because they do not catch fish that lay eggs during the protective period.

Onshore fishing trawlers will also still be allowed to fish within 10 miles of the shore in April, said U Thet Oo.

A total of 238 offshore fishing trawlers and 40,000 onshore fishing trawlers are officially registered with the Fisheries Department in Arakan State.