The verdict has lessened the tension between the two countries – which nearly escalated into a conflict during 2008 when both countries sent their navy to the disputed area where Myanmar was drilling

for exploring oil-gas – and is thus likely to have positive implications for transboundary disputes relating to the fishery. This type of conflict appears due to lack of implementation of regulations by enforcment agencies. Conflicts of this type in the study sites were due to indiscriminate fishing practices and resource sharing among rival groups of fishers. Monofilament net, mosquito net and small mesh net used for shrimp fry collection are banned by law for use in fishing yet are frequently used by the illegal gear operators buy Buparlisib at sea, which often creates conflict with other fishers. The use of trawlers encroaching in areas allocated for traditional fishers was one of the most common conflicts in the study area. The disputes result from inadequate enforcement of the Marine Fisheries Ordinance 1983, which aimed to curb

the excess capacity of industrial trawlers by creating separate fishing zones – up to 40 m water depth for traditional gear and above 40 m water depth for trawlers. Conflicts of this type occur when a group of fishers asserts that their fishing operations and rights are negatively affected by the action of another group of fishers or stakeholders. The study found that disputes gravitate around competing claims on fishing grounds mostly Sclareol between active gears such as Small Mesh Drift Nets (SMD), but also occur between active and passive gears such as SMD and Marine Set Bag Nets selleck (MSBN). When two parties fishing in the same area accidentally drift into each other and become entangled the nets may need to be cut,

thereby also resulting in conflicts between the two parties. Conflicts of this type can also happen between fishers and boat owners when the latter refuse to pay fishers’ according to their earlier commitments, or are reluctant to provide safety equipment before the fishing voyage. Boat owners who were interviewed admitted that this often causes conflicts with fishers. However, owners stated that fishers did not always provide them with the true figures of fish catches. They suspected some fishers under their employ illegally sold fish at sea in order to gain extra benefits. According to owners, this is the main reason for conflict with the fishers they employ. Fishers and boat owners also reported conflicts with fish traders due to the nature of market governance structures. Conflict arises when local fish traders create a syndicate and force the fishers or boat owners to sell their catch directly to them, preventing traders from other areas from competing. Fishers reported that they never received the perceived ‘true’ market value from these fish traders.