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[Lite Beer]

Thailand struggles with dark side of vital fishing industry
Siraphob Thanthong-Knight

BANGKOK: -- The reputation of Thailand's 8-billion-dollar fishing industry is at stake after a series of human trafficking and illegal fishing allegations. The government's latest initiatives have not given much cause for optimism.

The world’s third-largest exporter of fish and fishery products, Thailand, is facing something of a crisis for its international reputation.

The glamorous packaging of Thai seafood in supermarket fridges around the world stands in contrast to the picture that emerged this year of the industry’s abuse of trafficked workers, including 20-hour shifts, beatings and deaths.

According to the International Labour Organisation, nearly 17 per cent of workers on Thai fishing boats have experienced forced labour.

In June, the United States downgraded Thailand in its annual human trafficking report after revelations of slavery in the supply chain of the shrimp industry.

"Withholding meals and lashing with iron rods" were widespread forms of punishment, said Sompong Srakaew of Seafarers Action Centre, an organisation that helps victims. "Some boat workers witnessed the deaths of their fellow crew members."

The international outcry led the military government to announce a series of initiatives to shore up the reputation of its 8-billion-dollar fishing industry, which employs an estimated 300,000 people, although official figures are not available.

The most recent plan in November involved sending select prison inmates to work on fishing boats in return for good behaviour.

"Convicts can replace illegal migrant workers," said an official at the Department of Employment. "But this will be done on a voluntary basis."

"There is a significant labour shortage in the fishing industry because no one wants to work in a hard manual labour job that pays very little," the employment specialist explained, requesting not to be named.

On average, workers on fishing boats earn about 200 US dollars per month, less than half of the minimum wage on land.

The inmates plan was derided by rights groups in Thailand and abroad.

"It would be a human rights atrocity roughly equivalent to sentencing inmates to the death penalty since some boat workers go out and never return," said Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Among other measures aimed at improving working standards, authorities are working on a database for boat and worker registration.

The fisheries department is also working on a system to monitor fishing boats more closely.

Relevant ministries and departments have been directed draft law amendments to protect migrant workers and making the registration process easier for them.

"Our main focus is to fight human trafficking and illegal overseas fishing," said Viriya Sirichai-ekkawat, the president of the Thai Overseas Fisheries Association, part of a coalition of producers including Charoen Pokphand Foods, or CP Foods, Thailand’s largest food export firm.

Such plans have not won over the industry’s critics, who believe the problems of Thailand’s huge fishing industry - in particular its reliance on illegal labour - may be too entrenched.

"The problem with the anti-trafficking effort in Thailand is that it too often remains on the policy level and is not implemented vigorously," said Annette Lyth, a regional project manager for the United Nations Action for Cooperation against Trafficking in Persons (UN-ACT).

"There is a significant labour demand in the industry that has not been met" by the legitimate labour market, Lyth explained. "Workers, mostly migrants, are brought by brokers to meet it."

HRW’s Robertson agreed that the system seemed to be institutionalised. "Human trafficking appears to be a business model used on the fishing boats," he said.

Industry representatives say it would be impractical to increase the tracking of personnel.

"The owners of the boats usually don’t know the origin of the workers," Viriya said. "Only boats going overseas will require documentation from workers," he added.

The European Commission, which in November warned Thailand about its efforts to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, said it was watching the country "very closely."

"The EU is still concerned about the serious allegations," said a representative of the European Union delegation in Thailand."

Substantial progress is still needed on a number of important points, notably on enforcement, inspection and prosecution," she said.

The UN has also called for more to be done. "Although Thailand has taken some important steps forward in fighting trafficking, there is still room for improvements," Lyth said.

"We are not seeing significant progress," Robertson said of the government’s recent efforts.

"It is a failure in political will."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thailand-struggles-with-dark-side-of-vital-fishing-30250627.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-25

[iReason]

A synopsis:

"The government's latest initiatives have not given much cause for optimism."

"Thailand, is facing something of a crisis for its international reputation"

Yes. They do have a reputation.

"the industry’s abuse of trafficked workers, including 20-hour shifts, beatings and deaths"

"Withholding meals and lashing with iron rods" were widespread forms of punishment"

"Some boat workers witnessed the deaths of their fellow crew members."

"There is a significant labour shortage in the fishing industry because no one wants to work in a hard manual labour job that pays very little"

"...workers on fishing boats earn about 200 US dollars per month, less than half of the minimum wage on land."

IN:

"Thailand's 8-billion-dollar fishing industry"

"The problem with the anti-trafficking effort in Thailand is that it too often remains on the policy level and is not implemented vigorously,"

"...the system seemed to be institutionalised. "Human trafficking appears to be a business model used on the fishing boats,"

Barbarians.

"Substantial progress is still needed on a number of important points, notably on enforcement, inspection and prosecution,"

"It is a failure in political will."

[Seligne2]

Don't eat fish. You will be doing them (the fish) and the trafficked workers a favour.

[Thai at Heart]

The moment a big buying block bans purchasing they wi clean it up.

Simple

[NeverSure]

"The EU is still concerned about the serious allegations," said a representative of the European Union delegation in Thailand."

How dare the EU butt into Thailand's business? What do they think they are, the world's police? They are forever telling other sovereign countries what to do.

The nerve.

[clockman]

The only thing that companys like C.P. understand. Is loss of revenue. Hit them where it hurts. The power of the internet. Use it.

[Crazy chef 1]

"The EU is still concerned about the serious allegations," said a representative of the European Union delegation in Thailand."

How dare the EU butt into Thailand's business? What do they think they are, the world's police? They are forever telling other sovereign countries what to do.

The nerve.

you're right that's the job of the USA...

[wilcopops]

fishing requires a lot of regulation and enforcement these days....... Thailand's performance in those fields in any circumstances would on past performance appear to be almost zero

Edited December 25, 2014 by wilcopops

[yellowboat]

There is a lot darkness surounding Thai polotiics and government.

[Emster23]

Slavery: because we do all we can to keep prices low for customers. We go the extra mile" They are just not pitching the benefits well enough in my opinion.

[SoFarAndNear]

So from what is Thailand actually making profit which is not actually in some kind of legal limbo?! Counterfeit products, slave labour, double pricing for foreigners, world famous red-light, open-handed blind foreigners who supports 1 to 3 generation of families.

[Balance]

The article states that the boat workers are PAID an $200 US per month and this was put at less than half the minimum wage for land jobs. Now were the numbers arrived at? 300 Bhat per day times 30 days (I assume when the boat is out there are no days off) is 9,000 and this divided by 32 Bhat is $281. So to bring these workers to parity would cost Bhat 2,600 per month.

But the problem seems to be that the industry refuses to adhere to that old capitalist maximum of supply and demand. If wages have to be raised to meet the demand then they have to be raised. Slaves cannot be used and the idea of using convicts is a joke.

It would be interesting to know how much this would add to the cost of a can of tuna fish. It would also be interesting to know how Thailand's competitors pay there boat workers. How many people in the mix and getting a cut of what the workers are paid, and how much? These are the questions the Thai press should be demanding to know and make public.

On the customer side, I do not think there would be much of a problem getting EU and American consumers to pay a few cents more for a can of tuna if they KNEW FOR CERTAIN that the workers were paid a living wage and treated well. That is the challenge facing the industry and the Thai government. And just think what a public relations coup it would be for Thailand image. Thainess would start to mean something tangible.

[arrowsdawdle]

The moment a big buying block bans purchasing they wi clean it up.

Simple

Then they'll raise prices to make up for the loss.

[arrowsdawdle]

"The EU is still concerned about the serious allegations," said a representative of the European Union delegation in Thailand."

How dare the EU butt into Thailand's business? What do they think they are, the world's police? They are forever telling other sovereign countries what to do.

The nerve.

If you're gonna talk the talk, walk the walk and send letters to your home country newspapers supporting trafficking, slavery, and Thailand.

[4evermaat]

Poor nations are needed so that rich ones can exist. What would happen if every country was fully developed? No sweatshops or sailors to exploit, but a plain white tshirt would be $20 and a kilo of mackrel would be $12-15. Guess what an iPhone or Galaxy Note would cost?

[JungleBoy2]

The average Cambodian manual laborer would make $100-150. Usually not as dangerous as deep sea fishing.

They go in droves to Thailand for the "Big" money-- only to find out that it ain't a picnic. Lots of bad stories, follow.

The "brokers" (aka; Professional Job Placement people ) place the lowest paid people they can find in a job.

The Bosses need people to work hard(try working on a fishing boat some time-I have), be resposible(there is Never too many

crew onboard--always the minimum). They are like slaves and get treated as such!

Not really such a big problem to solve--Unless, of course, you Only care about the Big Profits.

[jonnyscot]

The worlds third largest exporter, surprised to hear that, I would hazard a guess this is not only thai sourced fish/shellfish, surely this includes fish/shellfish they import and then export?

[NeverSure]

One of Thailand's problems is using ancient methods that are labor intensive. If they are raking in that much money they should upgrade their equipment and methods.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the US, the UK or Australia harvests as much seafood as Thailand. The US has 88,000 miles of saltwater shoreline and the world's 3rd largest population as consumers. That's not mentioning interior rivers and lakes and Southern bayous. "Exporter" wouldn't tell the whole story.

But ocean ships are modern and huge. They can stay out for weeks because they have onboard processing and freezers. They are inspected regularly. They have proper safety and facilities for the crew. They work under strict labor laws.

Yet when I go to the store in the US, domestic seafood doesn't cost more than imported that I can tell. I think it's about modernization and productivity.

If China had been allowed to rape the S. China Sea, they would have cleaned it out in no time. Thailand's fishing industry looks 1800's to me.

[Jay Sata]

Thailand can not appreciated that shoppers in the west now want to see where their fish etc comes from.

If Thailand wants to put fish or prawns in European supermarkets then the customer wants to know slave labour was not

involved.

Thai PR will not gloss over the cracks.

[jonnyscot]

Totally agree jay and neversure, the low labour costs offered here take the business from those western countries, unsure whether the previous governments minimum wage has affected this but prior to that it was common to see for example UK caught prawns prepared and packed in thailand then returned to be sold in uk supermarkets

[Oziex1]

Poor nations are needed so that rich ones can exist. What would happen if every country was fully developed? No sweatshops or sailors to exploit, but a plain white tshirt would be $20 and a kilo of mackrel would be $12-15. Guess what an iPhone or Galaxy Note would cost?

Then I would pay the cost or go without, this type of exploitation and your casual acceptance of it are unforgivable.

The developing nations can offer cheap labour but they need not be ruthlessly used as in some countries and by western corporations.. As for those toys you mention I know how much they cost now, and that is TOO MUCH! Mobile phones are very handy items why did they have to be turned into a useless fashion item?