Cooperation between Thailand and Malaysia in the virtual inspection of suspected fishing vessels engaged in IUU fishing

According to five suspected foreign fishing vessels that entered Thai waters without permission, Thailand by the Department of Fisheries has requested the cooperation of ASEAN member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Viet Nam to jointly investigate the nationality of those vessels. The Department of Fisheries coordinated with Malaysia for a joint inspection and investigation of the five vessels’ nationality, but due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysian officials were unable to visit Thailand to inspect the vessels. Both sides considered and agreed to convert the on-site inspection into a virtual one and the Malaysian side cooperated fully in this regard.

Thai officials from the Department of Fisheries, the Marine Department, the Customs Department, and local officials jointly inspected the identification of the fishing vessels, including QR codes, tin plates, hammer decals, engine serial numbers, and VMS. Thai and Malaysian officials exchanged information on the prosecution of each country's illegal fishing offenders to facilitate legal action against the fishing vessels and individuals involved, including sharing experiences that will strengthen cooperation to prevent similar incidents in the future.

It can be said that the co-inspection between Malaysia and Thailand through virtual format this time may pave the way for the development of a system to address IUU fishing with other ASEAN members.