The government is tightening measures against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and tying up loose ends ahead of the European Union's inspection next week.
During a cabinet meeting Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon revealed a list outlining government efforts to clamp down on IUU fishing that will be presented to the EU delegation between Jan 18 and 22.
Thailand was issued a yellow card last April for failing to tackle illegal fishing practices.
The EU delegation, composed of inspectors and envoys, is expected to announce whether to rescind the yellow card or issue a red one at the end of the visit or soon after.
A red card will mean an automatic EU import ban on Thai seafood products.
Gen Prawit has called a final meeting between state agencies for tomorrow, to prepare for the visit.
"I'm certain Thailand will pass the inspection," he said confidently.
All agencies were ordered to implement measures laid down by the government by last Friday, as well as prepare necessary documents and information to present to the EU team.
Among the measures introduced by the government since the middle of 2015, are a revised Fisheries Act -- which came into force last June -- and 31 related laws published in the Royal Gazette. Another 21 are about to be published.
According to the Command Centre for Combating Illegal Fishing (CCCIF), Thailand has inspected 317 fishing vessels operating in its territorial waters for signs of illegal fishing. The EU only required the authorities to examine 220, or 10% of the total number of vessels in home waters.
However, authorities have only inspected 43 vessels that operate in international waters out of a required 73.
The EU also demanded that 10% of the country's seafood processing factories be inspected -- or 81 factories. Of the 115 factories examined by the Fisheries Department, five were ordered to close for 10 days after they were found to have violated regulations. Three are facing permanent closure, while the Industry Ministry shut down another factory.
An E-licence system for contractors will be finalised before Jan 30, the government says, while procedures to improve the issuing of licences and the monitoring of vessels in real-time and online were completed last month.
A total of 2,076 trawlers -- out of 2216 -- weighing more than 60 gross tonnes were equipped with Vessel Monitoring Systems.
Authorities say they are making the presence of observers on board trawlers that weigh more than 60 gross tonnes mandatory. The Fisheries Department has trained these observers to detect unusual activities and could be deployed later this month.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has forwarded human trafficking cases to prosecuters. Among the 41 cases handed to them between October and December 2015, eight were directly linked to the fishing industry.
The government has also joined forces with seafood enterprises, non-governmental organisations -- including Greenpeace and the International Labour Organisation -- and other governments through the signing of agreements.
These include an agreement on migrant labour with Vietnam and Cambodia.
In another development, the cabinet also approved a new ministerial regulation prohibiting children under 18 working in seafood processing factories.
Previously children under 18 were allowed to work anywhere except in slaughterhouses, gambling dens and massage parlours, government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.
