Thai fishery exports: EU's motive behind yellow card queried

[sakon1]

Praporn warned that even if Thailand succeeded in improving its fishery standards, it could mean a 20 to 30 per cent rise in the cost of marine produce and could in effect make Thail fisheries not competitive enough. It could even reduce the level of profits.

Well slave labour has a way of keeping cost artificially low!

Edited May 7, 2015 by sakon1

[micmichd]

Europeans are permanently trafficking Thai women. What rights do they have to complain?

Go fishing! Preferable as a slave worker on a Thai trawler![/quote

I worked on an Asian steamboat in 1969. Is that low enough for you?

[micmichd]

Anyone want to try what it's like to work in Europe as a suspected Asian immigrant?

Bad jobs, all kinds of pimps, bad working conditions, bad weather, bad wages, no social security in spite of contributions to the system?

And permanent bashing by mainstream Farangs?

Raise hands if yes.

Edited May 7, 2015 by micmichd

[jsgatse]

"SONGKHLA Fishery Association president Praporn Ekuru said the issuing of a yellow card for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices and the threat to ban Thai fishery exports could have been driven by the European Union's economic protectionism or its desire to see the military regime of General Prayut Chan-o-cha return the country to democracy."

Or, could it possibly be driven by the desire to end slave labor and unlawful techniques?

Man up, and fix the problem and stop crying like a baby....

[micmichd]

Europe never gave a <deleted> about democracy or human rights.
It's their economy they want to protect. They want Thailand to save the fish for them.

[Praematura]

Philippines was in a similar position and resolved it to EU satisfaction.

Middle East is a panacea for the Thai government it seems, from getting tourists from there to come and now exporting seafood...

[butch333]

micmichd - thailand don't wait for the farang came in thailand for the prostitution , they use it for hundreds years already before the first farang came in thailand , second if you look at the statistics , more then 80% of the prostitution in thailand is use by thai-people .

[micmichd]

Philippines consist of lots of islands with international zones in between, so not comparable. What desire should Thailand have to satisfy EU?

[micmichd]

butch333:

Guess it's a socio-biological problem that males tend to spread their genes wherever and whenever they can, whereas females can get only pregnant once a year. There's absolutely no one to blame for that.

Different cultures have different ways to cope with this inter-gender problem, Thai Muslims different from Thai Buddhists for sure.

The problem is that Farangs tend to bash Thai women as "dirty cheap prostitutes" for a problem that they could not solve in their own countries.

I was only lucky to grow up in a time of free love, with anti-baby pills and no AIDS. But still in those days of free love, women always instinctively turned to those who could provide them some security.

Guess Buddhist Thais are able to solve the problem in a pragmatic way: Love to those who really take care, Expats included. Farang pensioners in Thailand usually have a far better life than in their home country, and it's still much cheaper in Thailand than in the West.

Not to run out of topic: According to International definition, prostitution and slave labour are only examples for human trafficking.

Edited May 7, 2015 by micmichd

[Bulldozer Dawn]

Blah Blah Blah, slavery, sanctions, price increases.

I have over the last month spent time at all of the major fishing boat piers from Ban Nam Khem north all the way up the coast to Ranong.

No body needs to do anything. The Thai fishing industry is on the brink of closure anyway.

Why?

All of the commercial fish stocks have collapsed.

Over the last month I watched dozens and dozens of the big boats coming to unload their respective catches.

The buckets are filled with commecial species that in other countries have to be 15 inches or more in length to be legal to keep. Here they are 2 inches. Relevant species examples are, spanish makeral, cobia, trevally.

Localised schooling species such as red snapper or grunter are ENTIRELY absent from the hauls. So are reef based species such as coral trout. This is because those stocks have already collapsed.

The only surving species are the pelagics that roam the ocean and live on the run...but the number of breeding sized pelagic fish is beyond critical.

I stood on one of the big commericial docks at Ban Nam Khem one morning for 4 hours. I watched a dozen or more big boats coming in to unload their catches. Out of the hundreds of tubs of tiny juvenile fish, I counted just 23 fish that you would say were big. By big I mean arms length or more. 4 black cobia, 3 spanish mak, 6 GTs, 2 samson fish, disturbingly only 1 very small mahi mahi, and the remaing were barracuda.

Blanket across the board sanctions against the Thai fishing industry would be a godsend for Thai politicians. Otherwise, very soon, they will have to explain why they let all of the commercial species in Thai waters be fished into extinction.

Nothing and no one will get the Thai elite to change a single thing in the local fishing industry if they are still making money. However the day is fast approaching where catch yields are so low that it is not possible to remain profitable, even when using slaves or cheap labour from Myanmar. When that day arrives, the elite will move on to the next cash cow.

The big story here isn't slaves, it is the total collapse of Thailand's commercial fishery.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Bulldozer Dawn

[joshstiles]

poor poor thailand...

their education system never taught anyone how to pull a head out of ones ass

[micmichd]

Guess Thailand don't need the EU to handle the problem of overfishing.

[butch333]

micmichd - why don't you call PM M Prayut to propose your service like consultant ? for sûre he ll listen to you attentively . explain you view about the fishing problem , and about the européan mans who abuse the thai-woman and use them as slave . you have a great future in the polic in thailand . i wish you good luck .

[laislica]

Blah Blah Blah, slavery, sanctions, price increases.

I have over the last month spent time at all of the major fishing boat piers from Ban Nam Khem north all the way up the coast to Ranong.

No body needs to do anything. The Thai fishing industry is on the brink of closure anyway.

Why?

All of the commercial fish stocks have collapsed.

Over the last month I watched dozens and dozens of the big boats coming to unload their respective catches.

The buckets are filled with commecial species that in other countries have to be 15 inches or more in length to be legal to keep. Here they are 2 inches. Relevant species examples are, spanish makeral, cobia, trevally.

Localised schooling species such as red snapper or grunter are ENTIRELY absent from the hauls. So are reef based species such as coral trout. This is because those stocks have already collapsed.

The only surving species are the pelagics that roam the ocean and live on the run...but the number of breeding sized pelagic fish is beyond critical.

I stood on one of the big commericial docks at Ban Nam Khem one morning for 4 hours. I watched a dozen or more big boats coming in to unload their catches. Out of the hundreds of tubs of tiny juvenile fish, I counted just 23 fish that you would say were big. By big I mean arms length or more. 4 black cobia, 3 spanish mak, 6 GTs, 2 samson fish, disturbingly only 1 very small mahi mahi, and the remaing were barracuda.

Blanket across the board sanctions against the Thai fishing industry would be a godsend for Thai politicians. Otherwise, very soon, they will have to explain why they let all of the commercial species in Thai waters be fished into extinction.

Nothing and no one will get the Thai elite to change a single thing in the local fishing industry if they are still making money. However the day is fast approaching where catch yields are so low that it is not possible to remain profitable, even when using slaves or cheap labour from Myanmar. When that day arrives, the elite will move on to the next cash cow.

The big story here isn't slaves, it is the total collapse of Thailand's commercial fishery.

Spot on.

Motivation is MONEY, nothing else.

<Snip> When that day arrives, the elite will move on to the next cash cow. <Snip>

Ain't that the truth!

[micmichd]

Wait a while, Thailand's improving. It's impossible to build a nation on the economic system only, you always need social integration (education and welfare) to keep the centrifugal powers in control.

[laislica]

micmichd - thailand don't wait for the farang came in thailand for the prostitution , they use it for hundreds years already before the first farang came in thailand , second if you look at the statistics , more then 80% of the prostitution in thailand is use by thai-people .

Hmmmm, I think that the guy you post about is a newbie who thinks that if he makes many posts he will be listened to?

But he is quite funny, but his humour might be better directed into one of the many humorous threads currently running!

[geisha]

It's because of the deplorable work conditions in Thailand, use of " slaves" ,plus questionable hygiene with use of additives that are not allowed in the EU and US. I have this information direct from an import company, one of the biggest in Europe.

[micmichd]

micmichd - thailand don't wait for the farang came in thailand for the prostitution , they use it for hundreds years already before the first farang came in thailand , second if you look at the statistics , more then 80% of the prostitution in thailand is use by thai-people .

Hmmmm, I think that the guy you post about is a newbie who thinks that if he makes many posts he will be listened to?

But he is quite funny, but his humour might be better directed into one of the many humorous threads currently running!

Thanks for listening to a smiling ting tong robot, core in Asia since 1969

[micmichd]

For ages Thai fish was good enough for European fish trawlers and consumers.

You mean now it's not properly designed for companies like Monsanto?

[ableguy]

Even when we are at fault it's really all down to others for not understanding and being unfair.

The man is a total buffoon but typical Thai, will not ever accept responsibility.

[retarius]

"It could even reduce profits."

I say eliminate all profits from slavery.

[Jonmarleesco]

Oh, BS! Certain countries in the EU certainly have protectionist tendencies - though probably less than Thailand - but given the Thai fishing industry's reputation, it's that that's generated the yellow card.

As for it being a push towards returning Thailand to democracy, Praporn is deluding himself.

[Kaalle]

It could even reduce profits, OK all is forgiven, slavery is OK just as long as your profits are OK, a disgusting man who shouldn't be a politician,statements like this will go down the throat like oil in the EU and USA.

Dont expect a thai with power and money to have empathy towards those below him.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Kaalle

[MZurf]

Philippines consist of lots of islands with international zones in between, so not comparable. What desire should Thailand have to satisfy EU?

The desire not to lose money, of course. If you have stayed here as long as you claim then you must know what the number one motivator here is.

[micmichd]

It's a bargaining process on a market, of course. The question of overfishing is also important for a sustainable economy.

But Europe comes up with morality, and Imperialism has certainly lost all legitimation in this matter. Sorry, from a sheer economic point of view, there is no difference between prostitution, economically forced marriage and human trafficking.

Edited May 7, 2015 by micmichd

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

EU citizen should stop buying the Thai Formalin contaminated seafood

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Keep-the-corpse-preserver-out-of-our-food-30229062.html

http://www.mthai.com/en/lifestyle/4218.html

[micmichd]

Formalin is used to preserve already dead corpses from further rotting.

In Europe I had a fish allergy, in Thailand I am not allergic anymore. It's usually living, swimming fish they sell in the markets.

Up to European fish trawlers what they add to the fish they caught, but please don't blame Thai fish for Europeans poisoning European citizens. In Thailand the contamination of food and fish with formalin would be illegal.

Anyway, formalin can often be washed away.

But Farangs are not so good in washing, are they?

[jonnyscot]

UK trawl fishermen were mostly adhering to strict regulations in mesh size and square mesh panels in order to help maintain stocks around UK waters while Spanish, French and some Dutch trawlers were fishing in UK waters with nets with little restriction to mesh size or any consideration to the stocks,, the EU did nothing but clamp down more on the UK trawlers, but as is nature of man everywhere there will always be some who try to sidestep the regulations

There was a well publicised number of cases against UK pelagic skippers in the last few years that were brought to justice,, fines running into the millions of UK £, but then again their catches far outweighed the fines

Edited May 8, 2015 by jonnyscot

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Formalin is used to preserve already dead corpses from further rotting.

In Europe I had a fish allergy, in Thailand I am not allergic anymore. It's usually living, swimming fish they sell in the markets.

Up to European fish trawlers what they add to the fish they caught, but please don't blame Thai fish for Europeans poisoning European citizens. In Thailand the contamination of food and fish with formalin would be illegal.

Anyway, formalin can often be washed away.

But Farangs are not so good in washing, are they?

It's a common practice on Thai trawlers to add Formalin on the fish they caught. I have stopped buying fish in Thailand caught by the commercial fishing fleet, I catch my own instead when I go fishing and I know its always fresh and contain no chemicals. Same problems with seafood from Vietnam and China: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/09/formaldehyde-detected-in-supermarket-fish-imported-from-asia/

[catweazle]

Fishing at and destroying protected reefs, like i.e. Similan Island no. 1, shark fin reef, etc. and dragging nets right through marine natinal park areas? No, a Thai would never do that!

Fishing with nets that are almost as fine-woven so they could even catch plancton? No, a Thai would never do that!

Allowing mafia alike structures to "control" the fishing practices in Thailand? No, a Thai would never do that!

Having underpaid or unpaid burmese slaves to the dirty work for them and if they won't comply, simply throw them overboard? No, a Thai would never do that!

Channging engine oil at sea and have the used oil simply pumped out into the ocean, trash, feces, etc. "released" directly into the sea? No, a Thai would never do that!

Long line fishing in protected areas, and shark finning all over Thailand? No, a Thai would never do that!

Keeping even the smallest catch so fish population can't recover? No, a Thai would never do that!

Fishing protected marine species, killing everything that moves, eventually leading endangered species to be extinct? No, a Thai would never do that!

I have more than 3.000 scuba dives under my belt and I have seen the reefs here 23 years ago, and see them now... The destruction of reefs and the decrease in marine life I have witnessed is beyond believe. The scuba diving business in Thailand is dying, what is truly sad since scuba divers, especially instructors and dive masters have been the ones to report and fight against the fishing industry's atrocities, all to no avail - money talks! First thing to root out would be the corrupt national park rangers who put millions of Baht per season into their pockets while doing absolutely nothing. In regards to the fishing industry - seize all vessels on which slaves were held, raped, killed (99% of all vessels) and sink them! I am so disgusted with all this Thai "Mind your own business, farang, you don't understand Thainess!" BS that I wanna puke. It appears that all people in charge here had serious oxygen deprivation at birth to say the least.

Edited May 8, 2015 by catweazle