Fishing boats race clock

Fishing boats race clock

3,000 facing ban, but exporters still upbeat

Workers unload fish from a boat at a wharf near a fish market in Khlong Yai district in Trat. Fishing operators in Trat and other provinces along the coast plan to stage a protest against new fishing rules. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
Workers unload fish from a boat at a wharf near a fish market in Khlong Yai district in Trat. Fishing operators in Trat and other provinces along the coast plan to stage a protest against new fishing rules. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

The government's crackdown on unregulated fishing boats is expected to force 3,000 vessels into illegal status, making them stop all fishing activities and cutting seafood supplies.

But seafood industry operators say the move would have only a minimal effect on exports.

Exporters believe such an outcome would be better than the huge losses if major seafood-importing countries banned Thai products due to labour exploitation and a lack of regulations in Thailand's fishing industry.

The government has set a deadline for all fishing boats to be registered by July 1 in order to comply with the EU's drive to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Authorities are keen to retain Thailand's share of the European seafood market. All boats failing to register by the deadline will be classified as illegal boats that are not allowed to conduct fishing operations.

The EU issued a yellow card against Thailand this year, threatening to issue a red card if the country did not put serious effort into cracking down on IUU fishing.

Owners of about 3,000 fishing boats that are unlikely to be modified in time for registration yesterday demanded the government extend the deadline if there was not to be a sharp drop in raw materials for the industry.

However, exporters shrugged off the threat, saying they were more concerned about losing market share than losing raw materials.

Chanintr Chalisarapong, president of the Thai Tuna Industry Association, said seafood exporters were not concerned about falling raw materials, as they could import some materials to replace reduced supplies in order to keep their businesses running.

"We understand why those boat owners are protesting against the government," he said.

"On the other hand, you will understand that the government is trying to regulate the industry to be accepted by the world in order to make our seafood acceptable in the global market.

"We are all in the seafood industry and need to look at the bigger picture that will help the industry to grow in a sustainable manner."

Seafood exports generated 102 billion baht in export value for Thailand last year, up by about 8% from 2013.

Major importers are the US, EU and Japan, according to the Thai Frozen Foods Association.

Besides the IUU problem, Thailand was also downgraded by the US from Tier 2 to the lowest rank of Tier 3 in its Trafficking in Persons report last year.

The cases were expected to tarnish the reputation of Thai food substantially in two major export markets.

That has forced the government to use all means in an attempt to lift those warnings from the US and EU in order to retain the country's major share of the seafood industry, which employs 300,000 workers in Thailand.

Mr Chanintr said the seafood sector agreed with the government taking such strong action to regulate fishing boats in order to tackle the problem of human trafficking and unregulated fishing as part of an overhaul of the fishing business.

"We've been living with this chronic problem for more than 30 years," he said.

"It's time to overhaul the industry in order to be better accepted by our trade partners as well as to conduct appropriate fishing activities that will help to preserve our natural resources for the next generation."

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT