Thai Ministry told to draw up laws to prevent illegal fishing

[webfact]

Ministry told to draw up laws to prevent illegal fishing
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Fisheries Act 2015 has been approved by His Majesty the King with notice about the new law published in the Royal Gazette, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.

Prawit instructed the Agriculture Ministry to draw up organic laws so they are ready to be implemented in 60 days to solve problems of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as required by the European Union.

Prawit, who is also defence minister, presided over the Cabinet meeting yesterday.

PM's Office spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd quoted Prawit yesterday as saying that any loopholes in the new act needed to combat IUU fishing should be covered by executive decrees, and they could be implemented immediately after the Act takes effect.

Sansern said Prawit instructed the Council of State to formulate an announcement empowering the Royal Thai Navy to work with relevant agencies to act on resolutions of the committee tasked with countering illegal fishing by Thai vessels or companies. The agencies were the Royal Thai Police, the Labour Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the Agriculture Ministry.

Sansern said the Europeans would send a team here next month to look at Thailand's solutions to the IUU problem, but the government would use Article 44 of the interim charter for short-term solutions before the new fisheries law takes effect. This would stipulate that a specific team and mariners would be authorised to investigate vessels before they go out fishing and stop them fishing if their equipment is illegal or if they lack required documents.

The EU issued a warning last week for Thailand to clean up its fishing industry in six months or face a possible ban on seafood exports to 28 European states.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Ministry-told-to-draw-up-laws-to-prevent-illegal-f-30258973.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-29

[hansgruber]

Funny how swift Thailand can be once the threat to hurt their flow of money.

[Strangebrew]

Say what? This has been an issue for years, yet in those years you turned a blind eye to it? Now with yellow card being issued and total ban nearing your going to draw up laws, which by all rights should have been done years ago? Guess the Baht mightier than words.

[englishoak]

See ? motivation of the right kind here works, namely financial cost

Edited April 28, 2015 by englishoak

[EnzoRippo]

One more time, reason to act is European pressure. Still not a single word of compassion for the slaves or to condemn slavery in boats.

[PaullyW]

Funny how swift Thailand can be once the threat to hurt their flow of money.

Swift to issue commands to create more words on paper. Thailand has plenty of laws that they have copied (like everything else important) from Farang-land and other modern countries. The problem is not laws. It is their unequal, unfair and inconsistent enforcement.

Let's see if ANY SINGLE HIGH-LEVEL THAI CRIMINAL is captured, tried and imprisoned. Or perhaps there are no such Thai criminals, of course.

Don't hold your breath.

[JAG]

If it is illegal fishing, are there not already laws which make it illegal> Why not enforce the existing laws?

[NongKhaiKid]

Funny how swift Thailand can be once the threat to hurt their flow of money.

Swift to issue commands to create more words on paper. Thailand has plenty of laws that they have copied (like everything else important) from Farang-land and other modern countries. The problem is not laws. It is their unequal, unfair and inconsistent enforcement.

Let's see if ANY SINGLE HIGH-LEVEL THAI CRIMINAL is captured, tried and imprisoned. Or perhaps there are no such Thai criminals, of course.

Don't hold your breath.

Nail on the head Paully, enforcement or rather the lack of it.

Enacting new laws may sound as if something's being done but that's about as far as it goes.

Tell the EU or anyone that asks ' we have laws that cover this ' but try answering when asked about enforcement so how about " Ehmm, we're waiting for our submarines to be delivered. "

[dominique355]

There is something totally illogical about the story. Has it already been illegal? Well then just enforce the law.

If there was no law against this kind of fishing then it wasn't illegal.

I don't understand

[jackanapes]

a touch of blackmail from the eu .

[thesetat2013]

See ? motivation of the right kind here works, namely financial cost

What motivation? So they make a few laws on paper to make a show to other countries and say hey look what we are doing. Then the laws they made are not enforced by the police because bribes were paid to look the other way! Or maybe they get enforced but their punishments are so mild it fails to be a deterrent. Action will always speak louder to the international community than words on a piece of paper. Take action against these crooks and slave traders then enforce the laws against EVERY person involved no matter their social or political or military status. These human traffickers are not the brains and financing behind their actions. They are the little guy who does the dirty job while someone else reaps the rewards.

[Suffinator]

Let's be honest here ... this is not about creating laws; in fact laws already exist. This is about enforcement of the law which those in power will ignore when it has the attribute of adding millions to their bank balance.

All that has been reported on the subject has centered around how bad a ban would be for Thailand's economy ... on one of these low-life's has once mentioned the fact that a change and enforcement of the laws would finally help prevent human trafficking and slavery. Yes we see the true face of Thailand every time a minister opens their mouths.

Frankly they despicable track record on human rights abuses should have moved all nations to ostracized Thailand decades ago. Let's hope that a ban ensues and they learn the hard way that it is not acceptable practice to profit from slavery and human suffering.

[FangFerang]

As far as I can remember, this is the first Royal Decree associated with a law in regards to illegal fishing (curiously not an anti-Human Trafficking law, but it would have the same effect, nonetheless). To me this demonstrates a degree of importance I haven't seen before.

If HRM signs a law, it is to be taken quite seriously.

Defying a Royal Order could even be construed as lese majesty.

It is often said that those who are highly placed are the fewest ever charged with crimes. I take this to be the final warning shot.

Good!

Playtime with the General is over kids. Put your toys away, or they will be taken from you.

[Roadman]

As far as I can remember, this is the first Royal Decree associated with a law in regards to illegal fishing (curiously not an anti-Human Trafficking law, but it would have the same effect, nonetheless). To me this demonstrates a degree of importance I haven't seen before.

If HRM signs a law, it is to be taken quite seriously.

Defying a Royal Order could even be construed as lese majesty.

It is often said that those who are highly placed are the fewest ever charged with crimes. I take this to be the final warning shot.

Good!

Playtime with the General is over kids. Put your toys away, or they will be taken from you.

Not quite correct. The Royal Decree on Administration 1994 covered fisheries with the following

• Apply, implement and enforce the Fisheries Act and other relevant laws related to fishery matters.

Prior to that there is also the 1975 Royal Decree which gave the Department of Fisheries broader power.

The issue seems to be that previous Acts encouraged fishing but had no hard and fast rules of managing it.

[monkeycountry]

Law#1: You cannot fish in illegal areas, except if you bribe the local official

Law#2: You cannot fish illegal species, except if you bribe the local official

Law#3: You cannot fish baby fish, except if you bribe the local official

Law#4: You cannot use nets with too small holes in them, except if you bribe the local official

Law#5: You cannot fish more than your alloted quota, except if you bribe the local official

Law#6: You cannot use illegal immigrants as labour, except if you bribe the local official

Law#7: You cannot use slave labour, except if you bribe the local official

Law#8: ....

Edited April 29, 2015 by monkeycountry