The government of Tanintharyi has proposed a new economic zone specifically for the region’s fish and seafood industry.

The proposal, officially submitted to the Myanmar Investment Commission, calls for new jetties at the Thai border, a wholesale market, warehousing facilities and other infrastructure, U Khin Maung Lwin, Ministry of Commerce assistant secretary, told the Myanmar Times. He said “Union-level discussions” are underway between Myeik Public Co and the MIC in order to advance the project as soon as possible.

The proposal comes after an extremely difficult year for the fish and seafood industry. Pandemic restrictions and border lockdowns throttled the flow of seafood into foreign markets, especially Thailand. Fishermen were forced to sell their boats and merchants were left with warehouses of rotting product. According to data reported by the Myanmar Times, seafood exports only reached USD 860 million last fiscal year — USD 140 million short of expectations.

But Tanintharyi’s fishing industry has faced challenges even before the pandemic. The industry is notorious for low wages and poor working conditions. Furthermore, overfishing in key saltwater fisheries has caused fish populations to decline, prompting the government to limit the number of permits and the sizes of boats. This in turn has led to a rise in unlicensed fishing.