Measures to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices should be accompanied by rigorous labour protection measures, activists said Thursday at a Chulalongkorn University seminar.
Following the European Union's final warning -- a yellow card issued to Thailand in late April -- the government has rolled out a series of legal amendments and regulations to tackle the problem of IUU fishing in Thailand.
If Thailand's fishing industry does not meet EU standards by the end of this month, the country will face a ban on fishery exports to Europe.
While the recent crackdown on illegal and unregistered fishing vessels has helped to curb law violations ongoing in the industry for several decades, fishermen's lives at sea and at the hands of their employers are at risk, according to Pantima Tungpuchayakol, from the Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation.
"The measures issued by the government are a step in the right direction, but they fail to protect workers," Ms Pantima said, adding the rights of the fishery workers are barely even mentioned in the government plan.
Since last June, the Fisheries Act has been revised and vessel operators are required to register their fishing boats and gear equipment, as well as apply for legal fishing licences and install vessel monitoring systems (VMS).
The operators have to show their documents whenever they leave port and return to dock. Boats operating without proper licences are not allowed to fish. Other measures include restrictions on destructive fishing gear as a way to thwart overfishing and prevent environmental damage.
Instead of just looking at the documentation, inspectors should also look at the vessels to ensure safe working conditions, and conduct regular follow-up inspections, Ms Pantima said.
"They do not ask where these fishermen come from or if they are here voluntarily," she said, adding that, "Some officials only stay on the boat for ten minutes to see the licences and the VMS equipment -- nothing more."
"Officials carrying out the probes have no idea of what conditions are like for fishermen once they are at sea," Ms Pantima said.
They need to be trained on the dangers fishermen are exposed to and know the truth about the hiring process in the fishery sector, she added.
Wanchai Benchaphat, an ex-fisherman who escaped a Thai vessel in Indonesian waters after 10 months last year, urged Thailand to ratify the International Labour Organisation's 2007 Work in Fishing Convention.
The convention aims to protect fishermen's rights so their working hours are not too onerous and they have sufficient rest, as well as giving them access to social services.
"I want to set up a trade union for workers in the fishing industry," said Mr Wanchai, adding the government has made it hard for him to achieve this goal.
