Fisheries Department's Tribute Exhibition to Our King’s Dedication and Benevolence
The Department of Fisheries invites interested members of the public to learn more about Nile tilapia fish or pla nil during the sixth “Fisheries Department’s Tribute Exhibition to Our King’s Dedication and Benevolence” at Promotion Hall, first floor of CentralPlaza WestGate from tomorrow to Nov 8. Held under the concept of “50th Anniversary of the King’s Introduction of Nile Tilapia, Commemorating the Benevolence of Our Nation’s Beloved Father”, the exhibition will tell about the royally initiated project to promote the aquaculture of Nile tilapia fish. Read more...
Govt plans to launch 'blue economy' fund
The government plans to set up a fund to help improve the livelihoods of traditional fishermen and their fishing capacity, in line with the principles of a "blue economy". The blue economy principle espouses the sustainable use of oceanic resources for economic growth, to improve livelihoods, and create jobs while at the same time preserving the health of the ocean's ecosystem. Deputy Prime Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikulya believes the initiative will also help government efforts to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. "The government will set up the fund and allocate money to it very soon," Gen Chatchai said on Monday, while presiding over a meeting of traditional fishermen. The meeting -- held annually by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives' Department of Fisheries -- was aimed at finding measures to protect traditional fishermen and preserve marine resources. Gen Chatchai, who is also overseeing the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the government wants to see traditional fishermen adopt the principles of the blue economy to help preserve and protect the marine ecological system. He said traditional fishermen must abide by the law of not using illegal fishing gear, and register their ships with the authorities. Gen Chatchai also said that everyone must follow the industry's best practices and support the government's efforts to tackle IUU fishing. In 2015, Thailand was yellow-flagged by the European Union (EU) for failing to adequately monitor the fishing industry. The EU said Thailand would be red-flagged and banned from exporting its seafood to the EU if it fails to address the matter. A decision on whether to withdraw the yellow card warning is expected to be made next year. Meanwhile, Banchong Nasae, chairman of the Thai Sea Watch Association, said that traditional fishermen account for 85% of those working in the fishing industry across the country. However, the government has focused more on commercial trawlers by providing them with assistance such as the buyback scheme for commercial boat owners with a budget of 680 million baht, he said. Mr Banchong then called on the government to inject the same amount into the new fund for traditional fishermen. -------------------------- written by https://www.bangkokpost.com
Mr. Steve Trent, Executive Director of EJF, paid an official visit to Mr. Krisda Boonrat, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Mr. Steve Trent, Executive Director of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), paid an official visit to Mr. Krisda Boonrat, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, to discuss Thailand's Progress in Combating IUU Fishing at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand. (Reference : https://www.moac.go.th/foreignagri-news-preview-401691791193)
The European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee Praised Thailand’s Progress in Combatting IUU Fishing
On 11 July 2018, H.E. Mr. Virachai Plasai, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States of America, as head of the Thai delegation, met with the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. The delegation also included Mrs. Petcharat Sin-auay, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Mr. Adisorn Promthep, Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, and representatives from the Marine Department, the Royal Thai Police, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), Thailand. The Thai delegation reiterated the Royal Thai Government’s commitment to reform the entire fishery sector which began in 2015 as a move towards becoming an IUU-free country. Measures and mechanisms have been put in place, with their effectiveness being continuously enhanced. The important improvements include (1) legal framework: the Royal Ordinance B.E. 2558 (2015) along with more than 100 subordinate laws have completely overhauled the fishery sector from previously being open-access to limited access while taking into account the sustainability of marine resources; (2) fisheries management: measures have been taken to tackle overfishing through controls on fishing gears, the introduction of fishing days scheme, and the issuance of fishing licenses in accordance with the quantity of fish stock; (3) fleet management: the number of commercial fishing vessels has been reduced to 10,612 vessels, and measures are enforced to prevent illegal vessels from re-entering the system; (4) monitoring, control and surveillance: this is promoted through the vessel monitoring system (VMS) installed on the vessels, inspection at the Port-in Port-out Control Center, at-sea inspection, landing inspection, all of which are coordinated by the Fisheries Monitoring Center; (5) law enforcement: so far 4,448 cases have been prosecuted, along with the imposition of fines of over 400 million Thai Baht (over 10.5 million Euros), while other measures to render swift prosecution have also been introduced; and (6) traceability: systems to trace the origin of marine animal catches from inside and outside Thailand have been placed throughout the entire chain of seafood production. Furthermore, Thailand’s tremendous effort to solve labour problems in the fishery sector has resulted in immense improvement in this area. The statistics on child labour and physical abuse have drastically improved. This progress is the result of the successful cooperation between Thailand and the European Union (EU), which has propelled Thailand to become a model for ASEAN and a strong partner in international ocean governance. Members of PECH praised Thailand’s swift progress in tackling the IUU fishing, which has been realised in only three years, and recognised Thailand’s significant endeavours in transforming the IUU fishing and illegal fishery labour practices into sustainable fishery in line with human rights principles. PECH has been following Thailand’s progress closely from the beginning and has witnessed increased positive developments. They encouraged Thailand to continue solving the remaining problems, and expressed the hope that Thailand will become the EU’s partner in combatting IUU fishing at the regional level in the future. The Thai side thanked PECH for their support and useful recommendations which are encouraging to the Thai agencies that have worked tirelessly to solve the problems over the past three years. ------------------------------ written by : Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand Images source : Thansettakij
Thailand affirms progress against IUU to EU representatives
BANGKOK, 25th May 2018 (NNT) – The government has reported its progress in dealing with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, to representatives of the European Union (EU), emphasizing the strict enforcement of laws. Deputy Prime Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya revealed after meeting with EU Fishing Control Agency deputy chairpersons Gabriel Mato and Cara Garcia that he assured both entities that the government has been working diligently in all respects to ensure the sustainability of Thai fisheries and to improve the management of foreign laborers. He told both, who played a key role in the EU’s efforts to remedy IUU fishing, that the government has been strictly enforcing laws to do with fishing and labor, with 88 percent of arrests to do with illegal boating and the rest to do with fishing. On top of regulations, between October 1, 2017 and May 23, 2018, the government issued an order for all fishing vessels to adhere to labor and employment practices, threatening them with suspension of operation in cases of failure. Latest surveys have found widespread compliance with the order. The two EU representatives paid particular attention to Thailand’s participation in various declarations and treaties to do with eradicating forced labor and improving the quality of life for workers in the fisheries sector. The government is currently working to be able to join the International Labor Organization’s 188th affirmation on fishing, by having its tenets announced in the Royal Gazette by September of this year. Gen Chatchai noted to the EU that Thailand’s work has not been based solely on whether or not it can have its yellow flag lifted but on making its fisheries sector sustainable, and sees the EU as an important ally in combatting IUU fishing. Both EU representatives commended Thailand for its efforts and achievements.
Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries Paid a Courtesy call on General Chatchai Sarikulya, Deputy Prime Minister
On 24 May 2018, Mr. Gabriel Mato and Ms. Clara Eugenia Aguilera Garcia, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH) from Spain, paid a courtesy call on General Chatchai Sarikulya, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, at the Government House on the occasion of their visit to Thailand to attend the 22nd Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) hosted by the Department of Fisheries in Bangkok from 21-25 May 2018. At the meeting, both sides discussed the latest development of the Thai fishery reform. The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated Thailand’s commitment to tackle the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing over the past three years and highlighted substantive progress on many fronts such as the enactment of the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries and its related regulations, the control of the whole fishing fleet size, the development of a traceability system, the strengthening of the monitoring, control and surveillance systems, and the implementation of swift and strict law enforcement, both at the criminal court and the administrative sanction committee levels. This resulted in 4,427 legal cases being prosecuted for breaching the fishing regulations and illegal treatments of labour in the fisheries sector. Over 88% of the cases had reached the verdict, including cases of several overseas fishing vessels which were fined to the total of over 400 million Baht (nearly 11 million Euros). The Deputy Prime Minister emphatically stated that Thailand will be relentless in its effort to combat IUU fishing to reach the target of being an IUU-free country as well as to create a sustainable fisheries sector in parallel with its effort to solve the labour issues within the fisheries sector. Thailand is ready to take a leading role in the combat against IUU fishing in the region and has already pushed forward the idea of “ASEAN Common Fisheries Policy.” Thailand will also call for strengthening of ASEAN cooperation to prevent and combat the IUU fishing when it assumes ASEAN chairmanship in 2019 and is willing to work with the EU in order to achieve sustainable fishing in Thailand and the region as a whole. Mr. Mato and Ms. Garcia commended Thailand’s progress in this matter. Both MEPs had visited the Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) on 23 May 2018 and were briefed on the positive development of the monitoring, control and surveillance system being installed, especially regarding the connection between the vessel monitoring system (VMS) and the electronic reporting and monitoring system on Thai Fleets operating overseas; the traceability system put in place for aquatic animals, both from Thai waters and imported from overseas; and the improved effectiveness of PIPO centres. All of these efforts demonstrate that Thailand is heading in the right direction towards sustainable fishing and can be an important example to other countries in the region facing similar problems. In addition, both MEPs were pleased to learn about measures being put in place to protect labour in the fisheries sector as well as Thailand’s intention to ratify the relevant ILO’s Conventions within this year. Both pledged support from the EU to provide continued assistance to Thailand in order to achieve the goal of sustainable fishing. written by : Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/news3/6886/90001-Members-of-the-European-Parliament's-Committee-on.html