Thai govt announces help for fishermen affected by IUU campaign

[webfact]

Govt announces help for fishermen affected by IUU campaign

By The Nation

 

Relief measures for fishermen have been announced as the government approved a plan to buy unused fishing vessels, set up a relief fund and provide low-interest loans.

Defence Ministry spokesman Lt-General Kongcheep Tantrawanich on Monday disclosed conclusions from a meeting of the fifth administration reform steering committee, headed by Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, approving measures to help fishermen who have been affected by efforts to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

 

Kongcheep said Prawit had ordered relief measures to be implemented as possible as a “New Year’s present” for fishermen, with the measures to begin on December 27.

 

The first measure would be to buy 1,900 unused fishing vessels in line with a suggestion from the Thai Fisheries Association, Kongcheep said, adding that the issue would be passed on to the Cabinet, which would have to allocate a budget.

 

He said the policy would decrease the number of fishing vessels, which combined with licence restrictions would help to protect marine natural resources.

 

The development fund for affected fishermen would come from fishing vessel registration fees over these past two years, or Bt130 million, and Bt650 million in low-interest loans would be provided by the Government Savings Bank.

 

“General Prawit emphasised that every agency must work together to solve IUU fishing problems to enable the European Union to improve our country’s rank … otherwise our fishing industry, which is worth more than Bt100 billion, will suffer severe damage,” Kongcheep said.

 

He added the government was also addressing international issues related to aviation and copyright protections.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30334206

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-18

[Oziex1]

They were breaking the rules and now they receive help. 

[chickenslegs]

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

 ... Prawit had ordered relief measures to be implemented as possible as a “New Year’s present” for fishermen ...

New watches for everyone?

[PatOngo]

33 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

 

New watches for everyone?

The first measure would be to buy 1,900 unused fishing vessels.

 

No.....now everyone gets a fishing boat.

[Chris Lawrence]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Kongcheep said Prawit had ordered relief measures to be implemented as possible as a “New Year’s present” for fishermen, with the measures to begin on December 27.

 

The first measure would be to buy 1,900 unused fishing vessels in line with a suggestion from the Thai Fisheries Association, Kongcheep said, adding that the issue would be passed on to the Cabinet, which would have to allocate a budget.

This is not vote buying? 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Relief measures for fishermen have been announced as the government approved a plan to buy unused fishing vessels, set up a relief fund and provide low-interest loans.

Rice scheme type help?

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

They were breaking the rules and now they receive help. 

Last year rice farmers told not to plant and they did. This year rice farmers paid not to plant.

Wonder if we'll hear from rubber farmers next asking to be paid not to harvest?

All these financial remedies just bleed the treasury. But that will be the military's legacy to the next elected government: debt.

[SABloke]

6 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

They were breaking the rules and now they receive help. 

It's akin to a fund to help drivers pay their speeding fines.

[Bluespunk]

8 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

They were breaking the rules and now they receive help. 

While I agree with you, if the fishing boats are removed from service and are no longer used to decimate fish stocks, then it’s a good thing. 

Edited December 18, 2017 by Bluespunk

[Ulic]

As they are only reporting 25% of their catch I think they are already helping themselves enough.

[Jonmarleesco]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The first measure would be to buy 1,900 unused fishing vessels

Might be as well to cancel the submarine order, then.

[HappyinNE]

Fishing boats for the Thai Navy.  Maybe they can operate these!  Sounds good to me if they cancel the Submarines.  By the way I used to fly Anti Sub Aircraft for the UN Navy.  The Thai boats (submarines) in the gulf of Thailand would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

[robblok]

22 hours ago, Chris Lawrence said:

This is not vote buying? 

 

Rice scheme type help?

Not really all over the world governments have bought fishing vessels to make it more profitable for those that keep fishing. Unlike the rice scheme this is something that will work and is a structural solution. The rice scheme was the worst disaster in Thai history money wise. 500billion baht gone. 

[Sir Dude]

Handouts and subsidies everywhere here and a large % of these soft loans I bet are simply never repaid. How the hell do the books add up? Which bunch of whiners will put out their hand next? How does this country's economy and currency seem to exist in a parallel universe and not follow normal patterns on stuff. Surely no-one believes the bile that is pumped out in official figures and reports.    

 

As far as the fishing industry is concerned, then it's a case of too many of them over fishing (plus under reporting catches) and basically raping the ocean for all it's worth. Now there is nothing left and they have also been called out for their ghoulish greed and methods by major customers. The Thai fishermen and industry screwed-the-pooch on this so let them fall with it as that will sort the fishing industry out here...get rid of the chaff and let the successful operators work.