The Department of Fisheries will demand importers of squid from Myanmar present official papers certifying that they have been caught according to sustainable fishing practices, in a move perceived as a measure to help shore up the price of local squid.
Deputy Prime Minister Gen Chartchai Sarikalaya said that discussions will be held with the Myanmar government about the proposed measures.
Documents that must be present will include fishery licences, the location of the catch, type of fishing gear used and details concerning the working conditions of the fishermen.
"Actually, we already check [the origin of imported squid]. But we will do it more seriously to be sure that all marine shipments of fishery products comply with the European Union's Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing's (IUU) regulations," Gen Chartchai said in a meeting on Monday.
The meeting was held to discuss fishing problems and chaired by concerned agencies such as the Department of Fisheries and representatives from fishing groups.
One concern has been the tumbling price of squid over the past three years, down from 120 baht per a kilogramme (kg) to 50 baht/kg.
Local fishery groups have blamed cheap, imported squid from Myanmar.
Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, chairman of the National Fisheries Association of Thailand, said local fishermen need to comply with the IUU regulations, while competitors in other Asean countries may not.
"The strict IUU regulations have raised the cost of marine products in Thailand compared with other countries that do not adhere to the regulations," he said in a press briefing after the meeting.
Mr Mongkol said the association is also planning to deal with falling prices by agreeing to buy local squid, in the hope that the price will naturally bounce back over the next two months.
Local fishermen have longstanding concerns over the Thai government's decision to force them to comply with the EU's standards.
Thailand also signed the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) pact in 2010, which cut import tariffs for marine products down to zero.
Under Afta, the government cannot control the volume and price of marine products imported into the country from other countries in the region, said Mr Mongkol.
The volume of imported squid, mostly from Myanmar, has increased 11% from last year, while the price has decreased by 4%.