Foreign Ministry denies EU suspends Thai seafood purchases

[techboy]

I don't recall any rumours of Thai seafood bans from the US and EU.

I think he just wants his name in the media at least once a week.

You don't recall, eh? Well perhaps you should consider the possibility that you don't know everything. In fact after reading your conclusion I suspect an atrophied cerebral cortex is affecting your deductive reasoning.

[surangw]

if the suspension were ( is ?) true, wouldn't it be public knowledge and not not just rumors ?

[DrTuner]

In EU, we eat steak. Ugh.

[wandasloan]

Or instead of crawling back on their knees, I guess that in the EU, if large

stores are no longer carrying seafood, I would think that people would just eat

less seafood......

There is hardly a shortage of shrimp farms and slave labour in the world. Indonesia, Vietnam, Ecuador and India would be the first of many to add to their existing and thriving slave markets and environmental degradation to take your European money. Of course a large percentage of "Vietnamese" shrimp is Chinese, so you needn't worry about your precious shrimp cocktails.

Holding Thailand responsible just means you will spread the problem elsewhere, not that you care. It's a lot like drugs. As long as Europe gets its fix who cares what harm it does in the supply countries.

.

[Chris Lawrence]

https://www.shrimpnews.com/FreeReportsFolder/NewsReportsFolder/ThailandCarrefourSuspendsCPfoods.html

"Carrefour Suspends Purchases from CP Foods"

On June 13, 2014, British retailer Carrefour, a multinational retailer headquartered in France and one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world, announced that it was temporarily suspending all direct and indirect purchases from CP Foods. Carrefour called it “a precautionary measure” as a result of articles in the British newspaper, The Guardian, about slave labor being used to source the fishmeal used in CP’s shrimp feeds. Carrefour was a major buyer of shrimp from CP Foods.

"I think you'll find carrefour is not a British retailer!"

Take that up with the The Guardian newspaper.......!

I politely suggest you take it up with you're local optician.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/12/carrefour-stops-buying-prawns-cp-foods-slavery-revelations

Carrefour stops buying prawns from CP Foods following slavery revelations

French supermarket group suspends purchases from Thai company while it audits its complex supply chain

Carrefour are not waiting two years. Action is the precursor to getting things done.

[englishoak]

Or instead of crawling back on their knees, I guess that in the EU, if large

stores are no longer carrying seafood, I would think that people would just eat

less seafood......

There is hardly a shortage of shrimp farms and slave labour in the world. Indonesia, Vietnam, Ecuador and India would be the first of many to add to their existing and thriving slave markets and environmental degradation to take your European money. Of course a large percentage of "Vietnamese" shrimp is Chinese, so you needn't worry about your precious shrimp cocktails.

Holding Thailand responsible just means you will spread the problem elsewhere, not that you care. It's a lot like drugs. As long as Europe gets its fix who cares what harm it does in the supply countries.

.

Rubbish, its a start and the point of the new UN regulations, leaving Thailand to do nothing is NOT an option or an excuse.

so the problem moves and gets targeted wherever it goes, its nothing like drugs and can only happen with the cooperation of business and government.

As to the supply countries your right I dont care about what harm it causes their economies, they could set a standard all on their own if they gave a toss, but they dont and only care about the profit. If theres blowback ? well it serves them right

No one said the west has to be always the one to come up with all the standards, it just happens to be the only one doing so.... now why is that ?

Edited June 30, 2014 by englishoak

[Thai at Heart]

EU farang has no where to go to buy grade A quality sea food at a decent price.

Hence EU farang has to claw back to Thailand on their knees.

Are you kidding ? We have wonderful seafood in Europe and USA, besides there is also seafood from other Asian countries and South America, in fact everywhere of the same standard. Thailand is not the only one producing.

I thought the reason we buy Thai seafood is because it's cheap and the reason it's cheap is the reason we are now objecting to buying Thai seafood.... etc., etc.,.....

Indeed. Holding principle over the rights of a labourer to earn 10usd per day does seem ludicrous.

[DrTuner]

Might actually do good for Thailand to scale back. That said, what the locals here call "seafood" is often freshwater shrimp and fish. Well, at least they live in water.

[wandasloan]

Or instead of crawling back on their knees, I guess that in the EU, if large

stores are no longer carrying seafood, I would think that people would just eat

less seafood......

There is hardly a shortage of shrimp farms and slave labour in the world. Indonesia, Vietnam, Ecuador and India would be the first of many to add to their existing and thriving slave markets and environmental degradation to take your European money. Of course a large percentage of "Vietnamese" shrimp is Chinese, so you needn't worry about your precious shrimp cocktails.

Holding Thailand responsible just means you will spread the problem elsewhere, not that you care. It's a lot like drugs. As long as Europe gets its fix who cares what harm it does in the supply countries.

.

Rubbish, its a start and the point of the new UN regulations, leaving Thailand to do nothing is NOT an option or an excuse.

so the problem moves and gets targeted wherever it goes, its nothing like drugs and can only happen with the cooperation of business and government.

As to the supply countries your right I dont care about what harm it causes their economies, they could set a standard all on their own if they gave a toss, but they dont and only care about the profit. If theres blowback ? well it serves them right

No one said the west has to be always the one to come up with all the standards, it just happens to be the only one doing so.... now why is that ?

That is EXACTLY what I said. By buying shrimp from countries (plural) using slave labour and degradation of the environment you are setting standards and you specifically and forcefully "don't care about what harm it causes" the countries that supply your habit.

I don't know how you could more forcefully show your standards than by handing over your hard-earned cash for the product, whether it is drugs, shrimp....

I don't know why you say it is rubbish when it's your own view. It is most definitely and clearly the policy of European consumers, no doubt about that.

Or do you mean that if you can actually attract a boycott of Thailand in the future, then it's okay what the Indonesians or Vietnamese do - that you aren't against shrimp-slavery at all, you simply want to harm Thailand? I don't want to put words in your post, but you are very unclear about this and I'm trying to figure it out.

But whatever your beliefs, make no mistake that by spending *OR* by withholding your cash for shrimp, you are most definitely and positively coming up with a standard. "You" (Europeans in general) are major, serious contributors to the standard. Just as you are with illicit drugs.

.

[englishoak]

Ahh but i havnt eaten prawn or shrimp from Thailand or other parts of Asia for years because I have been well aware of this slave labour problem since working with AI. Nor would many if they knew the depth of it until now.

I couldnt care less as I said what happens to the Thai prawn industry or other countries similar industries when found wanting no, It is not hard for them to have their own standards high enough but sadly they dont want any just the profits.

By witholding my cash from a dubious source I can use it to support other nations that DO hold up to higher standards. Same thing for the retailers, I do not give my money to retailers I know to be using these sources, my cash my choice, enough do it and that alone will force things to change

Salvery is not drugs and your using it in a strawman argument way. Drug users have a choice slaves dont.

Ignorance of the buying public does not mean they condone it, just unaware.That is at long last changing and once common knowledge youd better believe consumers WILL be the catalyst.

[wandasloan]

Ahh but i havnt eaten prawn or shrimp from Thailand or other parts of Asia for years because I have been well aware of this slave labour problem since working with AI. Nor would many if they knew the depth of it until now.

I couldnt care less as I said what happens to the Thai prawn industry or other countries similar industries when found wanting no, It is not hard for them to have their own standards high enough but sadly they dont want any just the profits.

By witholding my cash from a dubious source I can use it to support other nations that DO hold up to higher standards. Same thing for the retailers, I do not give my money to retailers I know to be using these sources, my cash my choice, enough do it and that alone will force things to change

Salvery is not drugs and your using it in a strawman argument way. Drug users have a choice slaves dont.

Ignorance of the buying public does not mean they condone it, just unaware.That is at long last changing and once common knowledge youd better believe consumers WILL be the catalyst.

You claim to be a very remote person with no connection to this subject. And you are not.

I didn't say slavery is drugs. I didn't say you personally eat or don't eat shrimp any more than I said you do or do not shoot heroin. And I was very, very VERY clear about it and I don't much appreciate your misrepresenting it as some poor downtrodden misunderstood victim. Remember?

"You" (Europeans in general)

Thank you for noticing.

What I said was that your decision but more importantly Europe's COLLECTIVE decision to eat shrimp *is* taking a stand. You are not innocent. Europe's COLLECTIVE decision to boycott Thai shrimp will equally be taking a stand. You are not innocent. Europe's unceasing demand for illicit drugs is most assuredly taking a moral, ethical, economic and environmental stand towards the people who produce them for you, and for their surroundings -— just like shrimp.

Your stand may be wonderful. It may be lower than a fetid klong. I will be the judge of that, thank you - me and millions of others. But however you are judged, Europe (collectively) every day takes a stand on shrimp just as it has long taken a stand on drugs. Even saying you don't care is a STRONG stand, which means - just as you claim - that you don't care what happens to the people involved on both ends of this massive supply chain.

.

Edited June 30, 2014 by wandasloan

[siampolee]

All that will happen as far as consumers in the E.U. or elsewhere for that matter are concerned is that supplies will be sourced from other producers who in many cases will be party to the same policies that the Thai Fishing industry is party to.

No doubt through a sub contracting process Thai caught seafood products will still find their way into the food production and subsequent supply chain.

Mammon is the god to all involved in the production and consumption chain, suppliers, retailers and ultimately the consumer.

In truth the goal posts have been moved and in the long term little effect will be felt.''Consumers do not have a social conscience,'' sad to say.

[Crazy chef 1]

before i came to Thailand i loved seafood now i hardly eat any.and this has nothing to do with slave labour the quality is just crap.

[selftaopath]

"He insisted American seafood importers still had confidence in the standard of Thai seafood."

Where do they get these people? This has nothing to do a/b the standard of Thai seafood.

GEEZEUSH...

[wandasloan]

"He insisted American seafood importers still had confidence in the standard of Thai seafood."

Where do they get these people? This has nothing to do a/b the standard of Thai seafood.

GEEZEUSH...

Fair enough. But I think in the context that what he meant was that they will continue buying it - because the standard of the product is high enough to justify the purchases. He is slagging off the slavery part and focussing entirely on the transaction part.

What you're saying, understandably and credibly, is that importers might stop importing no matter what the quality of the product, because there are other factors involved in buying and selling. I'm pretty sure his point is that this won't happen because the importers only care about the quality of what they're buying. Only one of you WILL be right in the future.

So far, though, he has been quite right. So far. He has a point, though. This slavery hasn't exactly been a secret for several years, and there have been quite vociferous, and universally failed attempts (plural) to organise boycotts in the United States both against source countries and against specific suppliers like Wal-Mart and Costco.

We shall see.

.

[Oziex1]

The sooner that this country stops thinking that it is special the better for all concerned.

Just look at the state of almost everything, how bloody special is that.

Going off post a little but.....

Is Thailand special well of course it is, as is every other country and it's people we all get fed nationalistic nonsense to believe we are number one. My beloved country of Australia looks more like the US every day The Aussies have become a nation of flag waving, migrant bashing (literally) rednecks. Harsh words for my own country, but the well informed amongst us are aware the cost of excessive nationalism.

[antimedia]

EU farang has no where to go to buy grade A quality sea food at a decent price.

Hence EU farang has to claw back to Thailand on their knees.

Why are you writing such vehement hatred in farang language?

You continue to disgust me with your hatred of non-Thais.

What is your real problem?

He is just another bent farang with a hidden problem, pretending to be Thai, is as close as he can get to his full desire of being a real Thai lady-boy.

[kmj]

EU farang has no where to go to buy grade A quality sea food at a decent price.

Hence EU farang has to claw back to Thailand on their knees.

555 you're a troll bitch

[jpduggan]

It's not the standard of seafood that is in doubt but the fact that slaves are being used to catch it ( seafood)

[Bluespunk]

EU farang has no where to go to buy grade A quality sea food at a decent price.

Hence EU farang has to claw back to Thailand on their knees.

Dream on.

[oldsailor35]

I am sure that the standard of Thai seafood is quite alright. It is just the production by slave labour that is in question.

[lovelomsak]

From what I understand the shrimp industry isnot the only industry using slave labour. I read somewhere a while ago where a squid fishing boat simply threw its slave crew in the ocean when tey feared they were going to be inspected for using slaves. No crew no slaves simple huh. I also read where some foreigners were out boating near Phuket and came upon a Burmese man in the water who claimed, the skipper of the boat he had worked on threw him overborad raather than pay him his wages.

[wandasloan]

From what I understand the shrimp industry isnot the only industry using slave labour. I read somewhere a while ago where a squid fishing boat simply threw its slave crew in the ocean when tey feared they were going to be inspected for using slaves. No crew no slaves simple huh. I also read where some foreigners were out boating near Phuket and came upon a Burmese man in the water who claimed, the skipper of the boat he had worked on threw him overborad raather than pay him his wages.

Gee. Um. Yes, there are many, many industries using slave labour including the supply-a-nanny-to-a-Bangkok-housewife industry. The fishing industry overall may use the LEAST slaves of all the dozens of industries that enslave migrant workers, Thai workers and others. The sex industry, the garment-and-textile industry, the maid industry, the service-station industry, the restaurant industry are among the biggest. Probably THE single biggest industry using slave labour is the canning-and-packing industry, especially fruit canners and fish (tuna, squid, shrimp, etc) packers.

Almost no slaves are used on shrimp boats, largely because there aren't really any shrimp boats so you would notice. Tuna boats and general fishing trawlers use slaves, but in tiny numbers compared with the businesses above and many, many other businesses.

That US report on Trafficking in Persons is free, you know. It's ever so helpful in getting a handle on the problem, how slavery works. There are other excellent sources as well, including the UN and many NGOs for starters.

GIYF here, it's ever so well documented.

.

[lubbkis]

https://www.shrimpnews.com/FreeReportsFolder/NewsReportsFolder/ThailandCarrefourSuspendsCPfoods.html

"Carrefour Suspends Purchases from CP Foods"

On June 13, 2014, British retailer Carrefour, a multinational retailer headquartered in France and one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world, announced that it was temporarily suspending all direct and indirect purchases from CP Foods. Carrefour called it “a precautionary measure” as a result of articles in the British newspaper, The Guardian, about slave labor being used to source the fishmeal used in CP’s shrimp feeds. Carrefour was a major buyer of shrimp from CP Foods.

Carrefour is hardly known to most people in the Limited Kingdom except those who go to France for their holidays, which isn't many. Soon there won't be many Brits going to Thailand for holidays either. Whilst, Thailand may produce some quality prawn, British people enjoy a varied diet and the idea that they would "claw (sic) back to Thailand" for a slave produced prawn is laughable in the extreme.

Edited July 1, 2014 by lubbkis

[maximun999]

I think ,politics and economic is irrelevant why should the EU suspend importation of seafood? Seafood is good for your life.keeps the fish out of the water when I want to swin