Thailand upset with EU 'yellow card' over illegal fishing

[webfact]

Thailand upset with EU 'yellow card' over illegal fishing



BANGKOK: -- The Thai Foreign Ministry has voiced disappointment with the European Union’s decision to put Thailand on the ”yellow list” for illegal fishing.

EU gave Thailand six months to clean up its fishing industry or face a ban on seafood exports to EU worth about 270 billion baht.

Mr Seth Wannamethee, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, said that EU’s warning showed that it was totally unaware of the determination and tangible progress made by Thailand in the attempt to solve the problem as well as Thailand’s long record of cooperation with the EU to fight against illegal fishing.

He also demanded the EU to consider Thailand’s efforts in addressing the problem in a fair and transparent manner without prejudice and in line with the real situation in Thailand.

EU said on Tuesday that it denounced Thailand’s shortcomings in its fisheries monitoring, control and sanctioning systems and concluded that Thailand is not doing enough. To avoid the ban, Thailand must “implement a tailor-made action plan to drive illegal fishing out of its waters within the next six months, said EU.

“Today’s action constitutes a warning, what we call a yellow card.. For the time being, there are no commercial sanctions whatsoever,” said Karmenu Vella, EU commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-upset-with-eu-yellow-card-over-illegal-fishing

-- Thai PBS 2015-04-22

[NeverSure]

[NongKhaiKid]

​ and bears a striking resemblance to a certain PM

[Mcffee]

Hereby I voice my disappointment for Thailand's shortcomings regarding cleaning up its fishing industry and stop illegal fishing.

[Chang_paarp]

One of the Thai banks predicted this in a report last year. It is not as if the EU and the the US (TIP report) have not given adequate warning, they have been ,making noises about these subjects for a number of years. These warnings were ignored as the the Thai bureaucracy thought the rest of the world works like them, well their belligerence is starting to have results, unwanted ones.

[chooka]

Stop making demands on the EU and do something positive. Throwing tantrums and crying isn't going to make it better. What's happening with those 12 high ranking military officers and government officials arrested 6 months for thier involvement, still no names, pics or charges of these ghosts.

Edited April 21, 2015 by chooka

[Dannyboy666]

Visa Problems in our Future, I Wonder, G7 Countries...

[PaullyW]

Sometimes I wish these foreign countries -- Japan, South Korea, Singapore with aviation, EU with fishing, US with human rights -- would simply impose sanctions on Thailand in the first instance. Thailand doesn't deserve the more dignified warnings and extensions and other help that foreign countries continually give. The country is an arrogant pariah that thinks it's a big player in the game and can make demands and wiggle it's way out of it's obligations.

The world needs to really stick it to Thailand to bring them out of their arrogance. See how they get on with their tourism industry severely impacted due to airline bans and their fishing exports severely limited due to bans in EU and US and their FDI severely curtailed due to their arrogant proposed changes to the FBA and perhaps the Japanese beginning to leave.

Let's see how the country gets along truly with a Thailand that is only for the Thais and their self-sufficiency. Give it a try.

[PaullyW]

Visa Problems in our Future, I Wonder, G7 Countries...

Doubtful mate. If the country starts reacting in such a way -- as children might -- the economy would be on the brink of a relative collapse. There must be a couple of reasonably intelligent people among the bureaucracy who understand what would happen if there is a mass exodus of foreign investment in this otherwise fairly inept economy.

Edited April 21, 2015 by PaullyW

[Your Thainess]

Let's be real, Thailand. You don't give two <deleted> about slavery in the fishing industry. You're hardly alone in ignoring human dignity. My own country is an awful violator 9f moral principles. But at least many of us have the decency to acknowledge it.

[Bluespunk]

"Mr Seth Wannamethee, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, said that EU’s warning showed that it was totally unaware of the determination and tangible progress made by Thailand in the attempt to solve the problem as well as Thailand’s long record of cooperation with the EU to fight against illegal fishing."

We are all unaware of this.

[Dannyboy666]

Visa Problems in our Future, I Wonder, G7 Countries...

Doubtful mate. If the country starts reacting in such a way -- as children might -- the economy would be on the brink of a relative collapse. There must be a couple of reasonably intelligent people among the bureaucracy who understand what would happen if there is a mass exodus of foreign investment in this otherwise fairly inept economy.

But doesn't the Thai Govt. act like Children anyways, They always shoot from the hip, with No Logic...you really never know the repercussions from this Govt.

[thesetat2013]

Thailand will survive this event if they have to shake hands with the devil himself.

Paully's comment would not be feasible simply because their are many more countries who don't care where or how the Thais get their exports. They don't care about human trafficking in another country as long as they can make a profit from that countries exports and businesses.

Thailand has this idea that warnings are not applicable to them. Sanctions are negotiable. As long as they make a show with new laws that only get applied to the lower social and political people then the world should see this as doing good.

Their new laws are just toilet paper used by other countries because they are not enforced except with only a few. Jail terms are negligible in relation to how many are actually caught or stopped from doing these things. Until Thailand gets rid of the corruption and actually starts enforcing laws and punishments equally amongst all of the people then the world will continue to see their new laws as lip service only.

[Ricardo]

Tangible actions are required, not hissy-fits, I'm afraid !

At least they're still giving yet-another warning, thus far.

Thailand needs to 'up its game'.

[aussieinthailand]

Stop making demands on the EU and do something positive. Throwing tantrums and crying isn't going to make it better. What's happening with those 12 high ranking military officers and government officials arrested 6 months for thier involvement, still no names, pics or charges of these ghosts.

Unfortunately The people responsible for the fishing industry are making far to much money off the back of the backs of slaves for it to truly change just as those high ranking military and political figures, and police are making far to much money so why would they want to kill the golden goose, They think if they throw a few low ranking scape goats then all will be ok and go ahead as usual, Well the world is watching and they aren't convinced, and Thailand is complaining instead of doing something real and improve their fishing industry to a worlds best practice and in the process increase the seafood sale and market shear.

But that would be proactive as apposed to the long preferred reactive stance and bitch and complain and cry out to the world that Thailand is different and special and no one understands it.

Any news on the Navy and the threat of a law suite on Reuters and the small local Phuket news team on their story into human trafficking? Still ongoing or dropped it for the big guy but want to make example of the small local guy's as usual?

Edited April 21, 2015 by aussieinthailand

[fritzzz25]

Can't the supreme leader invoke Section 44 and this will all go away?

[Loptr]

He also demanded the EU to consider Thailand’s efforts in addressing the problem in a fair and transparent manner without prejudice and in line with the real situation in Thailand.

They did, which is why Thailand is on the yellow list...

[rametindallas]

I used to live on my sailboat near fishermen for more that ten years. I never met one that earned my respect. In my experience they are only a half-step above pirates. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to police them. Good luck, Thailand in this chore. Commercial fishermen put nothing into restoring the fisheries and only take out what belongs to everyone; they get do that legally but that is not enough for them. The have to use slave labor, catch forbidden quantities/types of fish, fish out of season, keep undersized fish, fish in other countries' territorial waters, and otherwise abuse the sea. Lowlifes to a man!

[klauskunkel]

Thailand is upset

with EU over illegal fishing

with US and EU and Australia over their comments on Thailand's internal political situation

with China for letting the Chinese poop all over Thailand

with Lady Gaga for tweeting about buying a fake Rolex in BKK

with Rihanna for commenting on a Phuket sex show

.

.

.

Thailand is upset, the military is upset, the police is upset, the monks are upset, I think the only creatures in Thailand that are not upset are the cockroaches - they just enjoy life and carry on...

[zydeco]

Well, I know what this means. A rush to get more photo ops and praise for the Chinese and Russians. Probably an announcement of a giant new government agreement for Russia to buy all Thai fish exports.

[AlQaholic]

They will get right onto this and be on top of the situation in no time at all, just like the aircraft safety issue.......

[masuk]

It seems to me that when other countries draw Thailand's attention to their short-comings, be it air safety, forced labour at sea, very poor navigational equipment when it comes to choosing fishing areas, legal fishing net sizes, there is a sudden rush to fix these matters.

If there was no umpire handing out yellow cards, things would get far worse.

I also have concerns about this country's bed-fellows, and who they will sell their goods to and whose tourists they're going to encourage.

[mayview]

The solution is very straight forward and has been spelled out.

"........ To avoid the ban, Thailand must “implement a tailor-made action plan to drive illegal fishing out of its waters within the next six months, said EU."

What is so difficult to understand?

[Shiver]

Fear not guys. I'll sort this one out and register them as compliant at 7-Eleven when I get around to registering my pre-paid SIM card.

[2fishin2]

The solution is very straight forward and has been spelled out.

"........ To avoid the ban, Thailand must “implement a tailor-made action plan to drive illegal fishing out of its waters within the next six months, said EU."

What is so difficult to understand?

English....

[Tatsujin]

No one learns ... same ol', same ol'

[chooka]

They will get right onto this and be on top of the situation in no time at all, just like the aircraft safety issue.......

more important issues at the moment like young women dancing in red bikinis and putting students personal grades on thier uniforms so they can be laughed at.

[No Apologist]

Visa Problems in our Future, I Wonder, G7 Countries...

Doubtful mate. If the country starts reacting in such a way -- as children might -- the economy would be on the brink of a relative collapse. There must be a couple of reasonably intelligent people among the bureaucracy who understand what would happen if there is a mass exodus of foreign investment in this otherwise fairly inept economy.

Seriously? Are you....new to Thailand? They constantly change the visa biases to reflect which countries are 'nice' or not at a particular moment. Lately since China and Russia were the only places who told the self-elected PM that they support martial law, China and Russia have all sorts of special visa privileges. It is that childish, and this PM has hurt the economy and tourism in all sorts of notable ways already.

[robblok]

They complain too much.. they got half a year to clean up their act. Nothing has happened and if they are so good underway with their plans surely in half a year it will be all solved. If not they only got themselves to blame.

[Farang99]

Hereby I voice my disappointment for Thailand's shortcomings regarding cleaning up its fishing industry and stop illegal fishing.

Note that the original article mentioned Thailand's progress in an ATTEMPT to solve the problem. Nothing to say about actually doing anything to solve it.