Six plans being enacted to prevent EU ban on Thai fishery products

[webfact]

Six plans being enacted to prevent EU ban on Thai fishery products

BANGKOK, 15 January 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is devising six operating plans to curb the problem of illegal fishery, as the deadline of a possible European Union (EU) ban on Thai fishery products looms.

The European Union will be yellow-carding Thailand in February because of the country's non-compliance with EU regulations on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, reported Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Petipong Pungbun Na Ayudhya. The minister said Thailand is being given six months to resolve the discrepancies, where failure to do so would result in a ban on Thai fishery exports to the EU, worth roughly 30 billion baht per year.

Mr. Petipong indicated the six operating plans will address the issues of fishing vessels registration and fishing activity licensing, monitoring of fishing activities, vessel position tracking system, improvement of back-tracing system, improvement of fishery laws and the making of a national-level plan for the prevention and eradication of IUU fishing. The said operating plans will effect Thai fishing vessels in Thai waters as well as elsewhere.


-- NNT 2015-01-15

[JOC]

All very impressive plans!!

But didn't they forget to mention the slavery on the boats??

Sure an honest oversight...........................

[KED]

Step 1. Stop impirsioning Burmese and Cambodians on ships

Step 2. arrest / prosecute / jail those Thai's running and profiting from slavery in Thai fishing

Step 3. arrest / prosecute / jail those police/military receiving bribes/profits by not acting

Step 4. pass more strict legislation forbidding this practice and set strict financial penalties and jail terms.

Step 5. allow open media reporting of the Thai fishing industry

Step 6. provide education and skills training to all affected so they can provide for themselves in fair working conditions

[slapout]

the labor problems deal with another threat to Thailand and another segement of Thai government who speak in double talk.

To approach a problem from several directions, at the same time, may be a little more than can be handled by the brain trusts tasked with solutions to the many problems, of Thailand, that need/must be dealt with. remember there are still a lot of private sector/non military, on the payroll. Many of whom seem incapable of chewing gum and walking at the same time.

[Chao Lao Beach]

I hope they don't ban it, as it will cause a glut of over supply and somehow I am sure the Thais will use it to justify increasing prices, just like hotels in low season in many places !!!

[Neilly]

The minister said Thailand is being given six months to resolve the discrepancies, where failure to do so would result in a ban on Thai fishery exports to the EU, worth roughly 30 billion baht per year

Without wishing to sound negative I'm pretty sure which road they'll end up on, and can kiss goodbye to the exports to EU...there is just too much to be achieved in such a short time, If they'd been given 6 years instead of 6 months I'd still have my doubts...

[DKUNPUTAF713]

I don't know but I could swear that just this morning a spokesperson for the JUNTA cabinet was assuring Thai people

that he was pretty positive that EU would not enforce any sanctions where fisheries were concern.

Was I reading some media from another planet????

[MiclB]

The EU says..."to resolve the discrepancies".

The Thai Minister says they "have plans to address the issues".

I had a plan some time ago to put on a Superman cape, jump off the side of our house, and fly; broke my <deleted> nose. Sometimes plans are different than getting something done. Get my drift? Oh well, more cheap fish is just what is needed; maybe some govt official will plan a fish scheme modeled after .... err uh, never mind.

Edited January 15, 2015 by MiclB

[retarius]

Is there some reason the coastguard and Navy can't check ships and impound those with slaves on them?

[Lupatria]

Step 1. Stop impirsioning Burmese and Cambodians on ships

Step 2. arrest / prosecute / jail those Thai's running and profiting from slavery in Thai fishing

Step 3. arrest / prosecute / jail those police/military receiving bribes/profits by not acting

Step 4. pass more strict legislation forbidding this practice and set strict financial penalties and jail terms.

Step 5. allow open media reporting of the Thai fishing industry

Step 6. provide education and skills training to all affected so they can provide for themselves in fair working conditions

Ever seen 6 measures ending up in 1 big charade? Watch what happens.

[Thai at Heart]

This one is a big one. CP exports tonnes of stuff to Europe and particualrly the UK. They won't want to lose this business, no way Jose.

So ,this might actually be the straw that breaks the Thai camels back and they may finally achieve something real in terms of reform

[Suffinator]

What Thailand needs is real action with measurable results ... something they are not particularly good at.

An EU ban would be the sensible option here as it will address not only the illegal fishing but also slavery on the Thai fishing industry as a whole.

The ONLY way to get Thailand to comply is to hurt them where it hurts the most ... the loss of money for this is their true god.

[Chang_paarp]

What a coincidence, this EU reporting cycle is very similar to the US based TIP report cycle.

[moobie]

All very impressive plans!!

But didn't they forget to mention the slavery on the boats??

Sure an honest oversight...........................

Could be a difficult one for the EU this one. I know in the UK some fisheries vessels have been found to have exploited trafficked people or slave labour aboard.

(So I'd bet that other countries in the sea-going EU are doing similar.)

[rickirs]

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All very impressive plans!!

But didn't they forget to mention the slavery on the boats??

Sure an honest oversight........................... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

Not an IUU fishing issue.

[bangon04]

So to paraphrase.... oh dear the EU is starting to sound serious about this. Maybe we need to look like we are doing something about it. It is likely that the EU will turn out to be a toothless tiger after all and they will just keep extending the deadlines endlessly but won't be able to agree anything concrete. But just in case let us form lots of committees and talk about the potential measures we could put in place if we really have to...starting with lots of announcements to convince them that we are taking them seriously...

[Oziex1]

Is there some reason the coastguard and Navy can't check ships and impound those with slaves on them?

Referring to information from other sources, the Navy is ensuring the slave problem is well checked.

[Briggsy]

This is an enormous threat. Processed fish and other seafood products, crab and shellfish, make up over 2% of Thailand's exports. And unlike other major export areas, this area is not import, process or assemble and export, such as pick-ups, petroleum, electronics, etc.

There will be heavy pressure on the government from major exporters to sort this out.

However, and rather amazingly, the Thais seem to be going down the old, tried and tested route of trying to BS their way out of it with smiley meetings and lots of verbose and bombastic documentation detailing government plans but no effective enforcement. They must be banking on the hope that the EU would not dare place any sanctions on such a large supplier.