Fishing boat operators issue ultimatum to govt

[bluesofa]

5 hours ago, Chang_paarp said:

I'm going to hold my breathe till I get what I want.

Just occurred to me: I never remember William's friends offering to hold them for her?

 

[Spidey]

Most fish that I see in the markets is farmed anyway. No fishing boats required.

 

Also, I very rarely eat fish in Thailand as it ain't great. Give me North Atlantic fish any day.

 

Thais have no idea how to cook fish, invariably cook it to death!

[robblok]

1 hour ago, lovelomsak said:

This post make you seem to be more interested in the cost of fish for the consumer than rights and health or life and safety of others.

  You try to give an arquement for slavery gives us good insight to your values.

I don't eat much fish.. almost never so the cost does not worry me at all. It was a reply about the fishing boat owners investing their profits in the boats.. they wont.. they will want to keep the same profits and pass on the extra costs if they can. 

 

Guess you misinterpreted my reply. 

[Sir Dude]

Carry on with your hissy-fit then slave-driving greedy fishermen and do Thailand a favour with staying in port so the marine environment can have a chance to recover from your pillaging and piracy.

Edited July 29, 2018 by Sir Dude

[cookieqw]

Be nice to see a climb down from the government and what the EU think of it

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Let’s hope the govt does absolutely nothing. 

When it comes to enforcing the penal code (aka the 'law'), the government must act.

"Specific Offenses" Title I, Chapter 2, "Offenses Against the Internal Security of the Kingdom," Section 117:

• Whoever, instigates or causes a strike, lockout, or concerted cessation of trade or business with any person for the purpose of bringing about any change in the Laws of the Country, coercing the Government or intimidating the public, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding seven years or fine not exceeding fourteen thousand Baht, or both.
• Whoever, with the knowledge of the above purpose, takes part or assists in the said strike, lock-out, or concerted cessation of trade or business with any person shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding three years or fine not exceeding six thousand Baht, or both.

Section 117 addresses violation with nonviolence. Section 118 deals with violation with violence.

 

Thai fishing boat owners have repeatedly made similar threats since 2015 when Prayut began introducing legislation to meet the concerns of the EU and the US regarding Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, human trafficking and slave conditions in the fishing industry.

In no case did Prayut use the law to stop the threats of shutting down the fishing industry. In fact he responded in a limited fashion to placate protesting fish boat owners with delays in enforcement, financial assistance and even purchasing boats idled by new laws.

 

Obviously, Prayut's previous concessions didn't satisfy fish boat owners who continue to press illegally for more concessions. And why should the fishing boat owners stop their protests? For someone who uses Article 44 as a magic cure all and the laws to hinder Thai people's rights and liberties, there's something curious about PM Prayut showing consistent weakness to the fishing industry. As a politician he doesn't demonstrate the right kind of qualification for someone who wants to be elected PM.

[Jonmarleesco]

Anything they're not objecting to?

[Basil B]

It will be interesting...

 

A fishermen strike, can not see it lasting more than a few days before they cave in.

 

11 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Among other things, Boonchu said the fishing boat operators wanted the government to allow undocumented migrants and stateless people to register themselves as workers on fishing boats as the fishing industry still needed 50,000 more workers.

press gangs, Slave labour... 

 

11 hours ago, rooster59 said:

They also called on the Fishery Department to amend the Port-in Port-out regulations that require fishing boats to report their departure and return to ports. The fishing boat operators said the current regulations were too complicated and imposed a cost burden on them.

Well if the Pattaya meter taxi drivers do not have to use their meters even if the law say they must...

 

11 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Boonchu said the fishing operators also resolved to object to the government’s plan to ratify the International Labour Organisation’s Convention C188 regarding work in the fishing sector, as the convention would require fishing boat operators to invest much more to improve the living conditions of fishing crew.

Living and safety conditions are poor on them boat.

[ratcatcher]

Give the fishing companies a break............................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNwoqLB_wKs

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FbrfgRmfyI

 

Time for Prayuth to clean up this act.

[manchega]

from what I understand thai fishers ignore catch quotas already.

 

to issue ulimatums as well, it makes one wonder what sort of skulduggery is going on that allows them to continue in the first place.

 

I guess this could mean more fish attaqcks on humans will be reported as predators either die or feed off an easier prey such as fat humans on beaches, or scrawny ones,

[seajae]

in other words they cannot turn the workers into slaves the way it is now required by law and by having to report when they are going in and out they cannot get away with their corrupt practices. By all means shut them down import from other countries and we may well start to get decent seafood in Thailand with the illegal catches as these people want to get away with. Hopefully the govt will tell them where to put their threats, take their licences off them and stop them from fishing ever again. These are the ones that have decimated fish stocks with their illegal methods, they should be removed completely from the business

Edited July 29, 2018 by seajae

[ExpatOilWorker]

7 hours ago, fxe1200 said:

 

The point is, that back in the early sixties fishermen caught about 360Kg of fish per hour. By today this value is down to 18 Kg, according to the Department of Fisheries. Thus fishermen can only make profits using slavery, or almost unpaid work. The government should have bought fishery protection vessels instead of submarines, and boost their presence in the Gulf and the Andaman, to fight IUU fishing and the presence of foreign fishing boats inside the Thai economic zone, besides implementing fishing rates, that the fish population in the seas surrounding Thailand has a chance to recover.

 

PS: Newer numbers from the Fishery department are not available yet, but I doubt, that they have improved.

Myanmar seem to be doing pretty well. They have increased their fish production with about 500% in 20 years.

 

http://www.fao.org/fishery/facp/MMR/en

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, seajae said:

in other words they cannot turn the workers into slaves the way it is now required by law and by having to report when they are going in and out they cannot get away with their corrupt practices. By all means shut them down import from other countries and we may well start to get decent seafood in Thailand with the illegal catches as these people want to get away with. Hopefully the govt will tell them where to put their threats, take their licences off them and stop them from fishing ever again. These are the ones that have decimated fish stocks with their illegal methods, they should be removed completely from the business

 

The boat owners are wanting to do as they please, if they are not careful countries in EU, and maybe more countries will again refuse to buy canned fish from Thailand until the industry in under modern logical quality etc., controls , environmental controls and until human rights are fully respected.

 

Foot in mouth comes to mind...

 

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by scorecard

[Oziex1]

Ultimately, the changes will be driven by their major markets any failure by these countries in pushing the agenda of sustainability in fishing practices and an ending of the Human Rights abuses will see the continued drawn out response we are witnessing. The Thai government appears to want to change the culture, but time and time again they refuse to apply the full power of government when faced with the power of vested interests, Much of this power closely connected to or within the government itself. 

Only strict and ongoing sanctions by other countries will force change. 

[Chang_paarp]

Has anyone explained to the boat owners that if they go back to their old practices there might not be a market for their catch? The EU will ban their produce and even the US will follow suit leaving a big hole in the potential market for their catch.

 

Careful what you wish for. 

[Happyman58]

Not often i am on the side of the government Advise  Mr pm stand your ground. They claim they want 50.000 workers  Great Tell them employ 50,000 Thais and pay them decent wage . They only want undocumented workers ( oops slaves) so they dont have to pay them right wage,  Tie your boats up and dont fish  See how long u last on no money.

[rickudon]

Even if the EU and USA banned thai fish imports, China would just buy it instead (twice as many mouths to feed than the EU and USA) - but they would want a discount.

 

In reality, there are at least twice as many fishing boats as the fisheries will support. Let's hope the fishing boycott goes on for a long time - about 2 years would let the stocks recover ...... meanwhile give the Thai navy something to do, target practice on all those surplus boats.

 

Apart from a few tins of tuna all the fish i eat is either freshwater or imported. A Boycott of fishing wouldn't worry me one bit.

[Tailwagsdog]

There are still fish out there?