Somali-registered 'Thai' fishing boat caught with double the permissible catch

By Suriya Patathayo 
The Nation

 

 

A fishing boat with a permit issued by the breakaway Somali state of Puntland, bearing the Thai name of Chotechai Navy 35, was recently intercepted in Samut Sakhon on suspicion of illegal fishing and human trafficking, police announced on Thursday.
 

The crew of 22 Thais and one Cambodian were detained and 500,000 kilograms of fish and other marine life seized.

 

During a press conference in Bangkok, Pol Lt-General Jaruwat Waisaya, chief of the Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation, said the boat, captained by Pawit Kerdsuwan, had docked at Samut Sakhon’s Thachin Union Port to unload fish.

 

 

SVG Fisheries Development Co had earlier made a request to authorities to allow the unloading.

 

However, officials found that the boat only had a fishing permit from Puntland and also violated the catch limit of 270,000kg of fish, Jaruwat said.

 

After Thai officials filed an inquiry, Somali authorities replied that the country had not authorised the boat to fish in its own waters and it was not registered in its system. Puntland is internationally recognised as a part of Somalia, although it declared independence in 1998.

 

The boat was not equipped with the vessel-monitoring system that was legally required, Jaruwat added.

 

Police proceeded with legal action on charges of bringing an illegal fishing vessel into the Thailand’s waters without permission, which is punishable by a fine between Bt1 million and Bt30 million.

 

Charges were being filed against Green Laurel International, the legal entity registered as the boat’s owner; its executives Supachote Saengsuk-eium and Surakan Saengsuk-eium; another man identified as the boat’s real owner, Wanchai Saengsuk-eium; and SVG Fisheries Development Co, Jaruwat said.

 

Both Supachote and Wanchai surrendered to police last week, denying the charges and saying they would testify in court, Jaruwat said.

 

Surakan failed to meet police after a second summons, claiming she was ill, and promised to surrender on Friday, Jaruwat said.

 

The Cambodian worker apprehended on the boat told police that he had escaped from hardship working conditions on another vessel named Chotechai Navi 55 and hitched a ride on the Chotechai Navy 35 to return to Thailand.

 

Thai authorities have already sent the man back to Cambodia.

 

Thailand has been conducting an ongoing campaign to combat illegal, unlicensed and unregulated (IUU) fishing since being hit by the European Union with a “yellow card” for harmful practices within the fishing industry.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30338304

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-08

Puntland - Juntaland freetrade venture

A convenient scapegoat for the ongoing plunder of the oceans. Something the crow about as though the whole criminal gang that is the Thai fishing industry has been apprehended and stopped.

This illegal fishing boat and crew should consider themselves lucky. A few years back a Vietnamese fishing vessel entered Thai waters and the brave Royal Thai Navy rammed and sank their vessel after gunning down unarmed fishermen. If international law had prevailed the Thai Navy should have only confiscated their gear and catch and sent them packing. But no, not with the heroic RTN sailors, They get in a bit of gunnery practice as well.

500,000kg of fish. That's a big stink. Sink the boat.

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1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

This illegal fishing boat and crew should consider themselves lucky. A few years back a Vietnamese fishing vessel entered Thai waters and the brave Royal Thai Navy rammed and sank their vessel after gunning down unarmed fishermen. If international law had prevailed the Thai Navy should have only confiscated their gear and catch and sent them packing. But no, not with the heroic RTN sailors, They get in a bit of gunnery practice as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Thailand tries to do the model thing for the international community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, bheard said:

500,000kg of fish. That's a big stink. Sink the boat.

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Give the poor the fish and convert the boat into a reef.

Sturdy vessel, to be carrying the equivalent weight of a fully loaded A380 with fuel

A convenient scapegoat for the ongoing plunder of the oceans. Something the crow about as though the whole criminal gang that is the Thai fishing industry has been apprehended and stopped.

41 minutes ago, coulson said:

Sturdy vessel, to be carrying the equivalent weight of a fully loaded A380 with fuel

Precisely, 500 tons,seems a lot for this size fishing vessel. 

but they only caught the the allowed amount of fish, the rest was lent to them by a friend

A troll post has been removed.