Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya has downplayed Human Rights Watch's (HRW) criticism of forced labour on Thai vessels in a report presented to the European Parliament, saying the focus should be on Thai efforts to clamp down on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
HRW's report was released two days ago at a briefing at the European Parliament, along with a 15-minute film.
The report touched on how migrant fishermen from Thailand's neighbouring countries are often trafficked into fishing work, prevented from changing employers, not paid on time, and paid below the minimum wage. According to HRW, it found widespread shortcomings in the new government regulations and resistance in the fishing industry to reforms.
Gen Chatchai said the Foreign Ministry has sent a letter explaining how Thailand has dealt with the problem to the European Parliament, while Manasvi Srisodapol, Thailand's ambassador to Belgium, has also provided an explanation of the matter to the European Union (EU).
The deputy premier said the European Parliament had stated that measures regarding anti-IUU fishing practices and those for labour protection are separate.
Substantial progress has been made by Thailand on tackling IUU fishing practices and the EU has been constantly updated about this, Gen Chatchai said.
Meanwhile, police yesterday said officers had helped 160 victims lured into working on fishing trawlers between May 2015 and Jan 18 this year.
The victims, mostly from Cambodia, Myanmar and Indonesia, were promised jobs in animal-feed plants, but were lured onto ships, according to a police briefing.
They were forced to work at least 20 hours a day, the officers said, adding more than 100 human traffickers have been arrested. More than 9,000 fishing boats, meanwhile, have been impounded in relation to illegal fishing, they said.
Pol Lt Gen Jaruwat Waisaya, chief of the Royal Thai Police's Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation, stressed Thailand is committed to clamping down on illegal fishing, and the Royal Thai Police will report all cases to the government, which will present the information to the EU in April.