Fishing Vessels Inspected in Four Provinces to Stop Human Trafficking

[Jacob Maslow]

Thailand authorities are taking further measures to stop human trafficking. Mid-sized trawlers that arrive or depart from Thailand ports will be inspected. The new measures were announced yesterday by Joompol Sanguansin, the Fisheries department director.

Four provinces will be a part of the inspection: Chumphon, Phuket, Songkhla and Ranong. When porting in or out, vessels will need to report to authorities. Crew members will be counted. All who are on board will be checked to ensure that they have a work contract and are all legal.

Vessel licenses and fishing permits will also be inspected.

This is just the start of the “port in, port out” measures that are being put in place. When fully implemented in May, there will be 22 provinces and 26 ports that will have inspections implemented.

Also being introduced in May will be a vessel monitoring system that will act as a GPS for vessels. This is an optional system that 20 vessels have volunteered to install so far.

These strict measures are being taken to ease human trafficking that is a big part of the country’s fishing industry.

Numerous Thailand agencies have agreed to work together to provide thorough inspections at ports all over the country.

-- 2015-04-02

Stock image of Kidnapped Woman

[Oziex1]

More talk. Any where else Navy Coast Guard would be patrolling the fishing grounds.

[yellowboat]

Odd visual for a fishing boat slavers. Nobody has been brought to justice yet, so it is still a lot of hot air.

[chainarong]

A news item last night on Australia's SBS network focused on the Indo fishing fleet and Human trafficking , the Burmese slave labour was recruited out of Thailand on the pretence of working in restaurants, they were held in prison like conditions when on land , if they were sick they were beaten or given electric shocks, it took the Indonesian authorities 4 years to look into the UN complaints , their plea for help written on the prison walls explained it all , The indo official interviewed stated that the owners and vessel captains were all in prison and awaiting trial ,verified by the UN official acting with the Indo police , the Burmese have all been repatriated home after 4 years in slavery. Why did it take 4 years to act that is the Question ,

[Usual Suspect]

IMO there is so,so much at stake here...IF this trade in 'slaves' is to be stopped then Prayut is going to be rounding up lots of big-fish who have been making huge money for years..from trawler skippers to whoever has been running these 'holding camps' around the coastline...up to canning factory owners.

That's before the West starts more investigations into the 'cat food' business & it's supply-chain over here.

Unless later some element of '44' restricts future media coverage/reporting on the subject..?

[arthurboy]

Slavery is a big bucks business. And I guarantee that without verifiable, media reported arrests and imprisonment of all involved, nothing will change.

[Basil B]

This is like treating a skin cancer with sticking plaster...

As I recall an account from a fortunate sole who escaped this vile trade was they were transferred from ship to ship so they nether got near land or port.

I also assume they will be fishing well outside Thailand's territorial waters.