Prawit: Fishery sanctions by EU unlikely

Prawit: Fishery sanctions by EU unlikely

Thai authorities insist they are doing their best to meet fishery standards and that the country's fishery exports do not deserve to be banned. (Photo by Vichayant Boonchote)
Thai authorities insist they are doing their best to meet fishery standards and that the country's fishery exports do not deserve to be banned. (Photo by Vichayant Boonchote)

Thailand is trying its best to protect fishery workers and ensure proper standards in the industry and does not expect any sanctions, according to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.

Gen Prawit was responding to reports that the European Union may issue a "yellow card" to Thai fishery exports.

The fishery industry has been the subject of a series of reports documenting labour abuses at processing plants and even slavery on vessels.

The reports were a major factor in prompting the United States last year to downgrade Thailand to the lowest level, or Tier 3, in its annual Trafficking in Persons report.

The European Union recently gave Thailand six months, starting from February this year, to comply with its Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing regulations. Countries that fail to comply with IUU rules face a ban on their fishery exports.

The IUU programme requires countries to verify that products come from fishing boats that comply with regulations against forced labour and underage workers.

Gen Prawit said he was surprised with reports that the EU could sanction Thai fishery products. He said the government had taken several steps recently to combat the problems in the industry.
 
The Agriculture Ministry, he said, was registering fishing boats and equipping them with tracking devices, while the Labour Ministry had opened one-stop service outlets to register workers on fishing boats.

"I insist that we are meeting international practices," he said. "We have amended laws to make them clear. Labour officials, marine police and naval officers who are responsible are patrolling the sea.

Gen Prawit: Laws made clearer and inspections stepped up.

"I have been working constantly on this but I don't know why the EU would issue a yellow card although we are trying every means to comply with international principles.

"We have discussed effective solutions with the defence ministers of Indonesia and Vietnam," added Gen Prawit, who is also the defence minister.

He said he would continue to explain Thailand's efforts in this area to the international community and would also visit Indonesia to help some 500-600 fishery workers stranded on Ambon island.

Defence Ministry spokesman Khongcheep Tantrawanich said that out of 53,000 Thai fishing boats, 50,970 were now registered and their owners were told to seek licences for their activities and equipment to ensure standards.

As well, authorities have deployed 77 boats and set up 26 fishing boat service centres to monitor craft at sea.

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