EU sends illegal-fishing alert

EU sends illegal-fishing alert

The European Commission could impose trade sanctions if Thailand fails to curb illegal fishing, according to Agriculture Minister Pitiphong Phuengboon Na Ayutthaya.

The European Union (EU) executive body told Thai representatives in Brussels this week that more needed to be done against unregulated and unrestricted fishing off Thailand, Thai Rath reported.

"If the situation is not improved, the EU may impose yellow cards on seafood trade with Thailand," the newspaper quoted Mr Pitiphong as saying.

"It may lead to 'red cards,' or trade sanctions, if we cannot demonstrate our progress in stopping illegal fishing."

The EU is one of Thailand's biggest markets for seafood. The country exports 190,000 tonnes of seafood, worth $7 billion, each year to the union.

The EU has imposed sanctions, or "red cards", on Sri Lanka and issued formal warnings, or "yellow cards" to South Korea, Ghana and Curacao, a former Dutch territory in the Caribbean.

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