Govt determined to eradicate illegal fishing

Govt determined to eradicate illegal fishing

Fish on sale at a market on July 1, 2015. Domestic supplies have not been affected by the government's action against illegal fishing boats.(Bangkok Post photo)
Fish on sale at a market on July 1, 2015. Domestic supplies have not been affected by the government's action against illegal fishing boats.(Bangkok Post photo)

The government is determined to enforce the law and end illegal fishing, which has been allowed to continue unrestrained for more than 20 years, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Thursday.

Gen Prawit, who is in charge of security affairs, said the government and the navy have tried to persuade and facilitate fishing boat operators to register their vessels, get licences, use only approved fishing gear, and install required monitoring equipment.

He believed only a minority of the boat owners were protesting against the government's action.

The fishermen are required to comply with the law, otherwise they will cause more damage to the country, he said.

The problem had been left unattended to for a long time, since 1991. As a consequence fish stocks had fallen by 10% every year.

The government launched the clampdown after the European Union (EU) issued a “yellow card”, or final warning, on April 21 this year against illegal fishing practices.

The EU said Thailand has not taken enough action to clean up illegal activities, known as IUU, or "illegal, unreported and unregulated'' fishing. Thailand was given six months to clean up the industry, or face a ban on fish exports to EU countries. 

Gen Prawit said he did not know if the EU would withdraw the yellow card in response to the government's action, or instead issue a red card banning seafood imports from Thailand.

He said navy chief Adm Kraisorn Chansuwanich had told him there would not be a domestic seafood shortage if the existing legal fishing boats go out to sea as usual.

Instead, the navy chief believed this would allow the size of the catch to gradually increase, Gen Prawit said.

The deputy prime minister said he was not bothered whether fixing the fishing industry might cause a drop in support for the government.


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