Fishing sector asks Govt to reconsider ratifying ILO Fishing Convention

[rooster59]

Fishing sector asks Govt to reconsider ratifying ILO Fishing Convention

Thammarat Thadaphrom

 

 

BANGKOK, 8th December 2018 (NNT) – Fishing operators have called on the Thai government to reconsider its decision to ratify a key international convention protecting workers' rights, saying it hinders the Thai fishing industry. 

200 fishing entrepreneurs from 22 provinces submitted a petition to the Ministry of Labor this week, asking the administration to overturn its decision to ratify the International Labour Organization's Convention on Work in Fishing (No. 188), citing the government’s failure to hold public hearings before the ratification, while raising a question as to why only 10 states out of 100 fish producing countries in the world adopted the agreement. 

According to Permanent Secretary for Labor Jarin Chakkaphark, the petition contains three requests: 1) the government reconsiders the ratification, 2) a center and a committee be established to foster understanding of the issue, and 3) the government take into consideration people’s needs and problems and offer solutions accordingly. 

The group also traveled to Government House to submit a letter to the prime minister regarding the issue. The letter was accepted by Sompas Nilapund, an advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister. 

The National Legislative Assembly late last month approved the ratification of the convention, making Thailand the first Asian nation to adopt the agreement which sets the bar on working conditions on Thai fishing vessels. 

 

 

-- nnt 2018-12-08

[seajae]

after destroying the fishing industry through their greed these people now want to be able to keep doing as they have been doing for years. they simply refuse to let all the profits they have been making be cut by having to abide by the international rules. The govt needs to stand firm and make them follow through with the agreement, failure to do so needs to involve massive fines, jail time and seizure of boats/equipment. All these people have done is fight every international regulation introduced because it means less profit if the follow them, way past time the govt got serious and started enforcing the regs without any changes before the industry is totally wiped out through their greed

[Ulic]

The Thai government should do as the fishermen want. Don't ratify the agreement, Thai fishermen, lose access to the EU market and probably North American as well. The Thai fishing industry collapses with only local consumption. The oceans have a better chance to recover with a reduced Thai fishing fleet. 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Ulic said:

The Thai government should do as the fishermen want. Don't ratify the agreement, Thai fishermen, lose access to the EU market and probably North American as well. The Thai fishing industry collapses with only local consumption. The oceans have a better chance to recover with a reduced Thai fishing fleet. 

While I agree the Thai government should press ahead with the ratification to show the fishermen who is the real boss there is a lot of sense in what you state.

Give them all they ask for & as usual they will strip out their own food source thus self implode, but at the cost of the marine life.

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Fishing operators have called on the Thai government to reconsider its decision to ratify a key international convention protecting workers' rights, saying it hinders the Thai fishing industry. 

Prawit expresses resolve to ratify fishing convention  (2018-09-14)

• “Thailand has accorded importance to ratification of C188. It’s just that we need to listen to the opinions of all stakeholders, particularly from the fisheries sector,” Prawit said. “We believe that we will receive support from all sectors as our goal is to provide safety to persons working on fishing boats and to eradicate human trafficking.”
• 10,771 of some 20,000 fishing trawlers in Thailand have already undergone proper registration and have complied with international laws. The rest are unregistered and illegal.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30354425

Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya did submit to the Cabinet in August 2018 a plan to use 3 billion baht budget to buy 680 fishing boats from their owners in a bid to reduce the excessive number of fishing vessels in the country. http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/gen-chatchai-is-confident-thailand-to-be-deleted-from-iuu-watchlist/  

There's nothing to reconsider. No way the government can buyout the remaining 10,000 fishing boats.

These fishing operators have already violated the law by threats to shutdown the fishing industry and deserve immediate appropriate law enforcement measures.

But Prayut may have caused himself a dilemma - he wants to be elected the next PM and needs in part fishing operator votes in the South. Forcing the protesting fishing boat operators to obey the rule of law will likely set them against Prayut's political aspirations.