A n c h o v y

.....Anchovies are considered crucial in the marine ecology. Their small size, short life span, and year-round spawning activity make them a fundamental part of the food chain as prey for larger animals. At the same time, they function as the "balancer" of the sea by eating zooplanktons, smaller than they are.

.....Fishing with light and seines first began in the eastern coast around 1981 and has since become popular. In 1983, it was banned as it seemed to be endangering the species and other marine life. In 1996, however, the ban was removed and fishermen were able to use lights as lures but must use lift nets instead of purse seines. This quickly increased the popularity of anchovy fishing because using the light-and-lift-net combination at night yielded catches almost ten times larger than fishing in the daytime. Anchovy fishing became an industry that fed local families as well as the Thai economy.