Andaman fishermen turn jellyfish into money

25 Jul 2011

Fishermen on Thailand’s southern Andaman Sea coast are netting bumper hauls of jellyfish this year. The seas along the coasts of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga traditionally see more of the nasty stingers at this time of year as they are washed in by monsoon rains and turbulent seas.

In districts such as Takua Thung, fisherfolk put out to sea every morning and net jellyfish floating in on tidal currents. More of the creatures are seen in the waters from April onwards and by August fishing vessels often catch in excess of 1,000 of them a day.

This year the going rate for each jellyfish is about eight Baht, which means fishermen can net up to 10,000 Baht a day if they achieve optimum catch levels.

Visitors to ports where the jellyfish are offloaded are often surprised by the sight of the weird-looking creatures. The jellyfish are sent to processing plants where they are dried or compressed and packed into containers for export.

Asian countries such as China, South Korea and Japan are the principal markets for jellyfish. The creatures are high protein and low calorie, and eating them is said to be beneficial to the health and well-being of consumers.

In China, historians say people have been eating this unusual seafood delicacy for at least the last 1,000 years. Some medical experts say jellyfish collagen helps moisturise skin and eases bronchitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

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