Thai PM: Big progress in IUU fishing crackdown

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thai PM: Big progress in IUU fishing crackdown

BANGKOK, 17 October 2015 (NNT) – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has restated the government’s readiness to address the European Union’s assessment of the Thai government's crackdown on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, during his weekly talk program.

Gen Prayut said he believed the EU would notice positive changes in the country’s fishing industry as a result of the ongoing efforts to stem illegal fishing. The PM explained that the government had prepared assistance measures for operators affected by its campaign which entails enforcement of the law.

Gen Prayut said that the cabinet has approved a budget of 230 million baht to compensate all groups of workers who have to suspend work in the industry, pending the government’s restructuring of fishing activities.

PM Prayut added the government was ready to answer any questions the EU may have and to clarify its policy and plans to overhaul the country’s marine fishing industry as well as to suppress the use of forced labor on board boats at sea.

The EU representatives are vetting fishing activities in Thailand between 13th and 22nd October.

Source: http://thainews.prd.go.th/website_en/news/news_detail/WNSOC5810170010001

-- NNT 2015-10-17

[clockman]

Till i see generals, officials, police, in jail. It is just talk. Decades of slavery.

[Hawk]

Again just for show.

[lujanit]

I find this unbelievable. 230 million bath to compensate criminals who have operated illegally for years. This whole business of thais demanding the right to make a living from however they want to regardless of the fact it is illegal makes me sick. These operators involved in IUU and human trafficking within the fishing industry should have their boats burnt and they should go to jail for a very long time.

But no, Thainess compensates these bastards. I hope the EU bans all Thai fishery imports and other countries like the US follow suit.

[carstenp]

I find this unbelievable. 230 million bath to compensate criminals who have operated illegally for years. This whole business of thais demanding the right to make a living from however they want to regardless of the fact it is illegal makes me sick. These operators involved in IUU and human trafficking within the fishing industry should have their boats burnt and they should go to jail for a very long time.

But no, Thainess compensates these bastards. I hope the EU bans all Thai fishery imports and other countries like the US follow suit.

I'm agree with you in some of you statements , but what should he do. He want to make progress, clean up not just in the fishery industry. He want to clean up, but don't want anybody to go on the street. Solution is compensates. Hes problem will just take longer to arrive, cause he can't compensate everybody here in Thailand. Look at the farmers, the estate, factory and so on. Where should he get the money, when the tax revenue is dropping, tax on estate dropped and so on. I understand the only way to do this I borrow money, and this is was Thailand doing right now.

I don't think Thai people want to change there way of living, and if the EU don't ban the fishery imports they will soon be back sailing and fishing again as before the crackdown

Edited October 17, 2015 by carstenp

[yellowboat]

The junta is expecting forgiveness far too quickly, and no elites have been charged. Interesting how they just stay invisible.

[Oziex1]

I believe there is a specific criteria to follow to achieve compliance, has this been addressed, or are they now just ready to address it?

[Praematura]

EU knows the pm is paying off the fisherman after he published the welfare payments to boat captains. Does the pm actually think paying off these fisherman when there is a threat of a ban will work when the reality is nothing has changed because the captain, boat crew just waiting for the green light.

[Srikcir]

Thus far, the government has budgeted a total of Bt457 million (Bt227 million to idle boat owners and Bt230 million to idle fishermen) to compensate the fishing industry for noncompliance.

Somehow that doesn't sound like a crackdown in IUU fishing but more of a raid on the taxpayer's treasury to quell dissent against the government's IUU policies. This might not be the direction the EU will appreciate.

[wabothai]

perhaps the EU likes to know incarceration quotas of the real dealers.

What is meant by big progress? How big is big?

[arrowsdawdle]

Till i see generals, officials, police, in jail. It is just talk. Decades of slavery.

It is practically institutionalized in their Sakdina culture of inequality.

[arrowsdawdle]

How quaint that PM tries to rebrand human trafficking by talking about illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and slips into the last sentence that forced labor is included. Of course, when he lauds a program that provides assistance to the perpetrators because they lose their incomes after using enslaved prisoners against their will to catch fish, he is banking on the EU thinking that rewarding the slave masters is the answer. But, that dog ain't gonna hunt.

[arrowsdawdle]

perhaps the EU likes to know incarceration quotas of the real dealers.

What is meant by big progress? How big is big?

He increased the number of mirrors and the amount of smoke.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

And here in Koh Kong (Cambodia) Hundreds of Thai fishing boats coming in offloading their catch instead of in Klong Yai (Trat province) and they are planning to construct a new pier for all the Thai boats! Big progress, yeah sure.

[selftaopath]

I believe there is a specific criteria to follow to achieve compliance, has this been addressed, or are they now just ready to address it?

I marvel at Thai continued rhetoric in almost all area of concern e.g. PLAN TO.....

Like these statements are believable. Show us/DON'T tell us.

[selftaopath]

How quaint that PM tries to rebrand human trafficking by talking about illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and slips into the last sentence that forced labor is included. Of course, when he lauds a program that provides assistance to the perpetrators because they lose their incomes after using enslaved prisoners against their will to catch fish, he is banking on the EU thinking that rewarding the slave masters is the answer. But, that dog ain't gonna hunt.

"hat dog ain't gonna hunt"

I sincerely hope not. Not a surprise that Thailand... to my knowledge... have not compensated the victims but the perpetrators. What an upside down mentality this country has.

[NongKhaiKid]

I believe there is a specific criteria to follow to achieve compliance, has this been addressed, or are they now just ready to address it?

I marvel at Thai continued rhetoric in almost all area of concern e.g. PLAN TO.....

Like these statements are believable. Show us/DON'T tell us.

There's also too that underlying, usually forlorn, belief that everything said will be believed and accepted by the target audience.

When it's not roll out the ' don't understand Thainess ' and ' give us an extension ' scripts.

[Ricardo]

The junta is expecting forgiveness far too quickly, and no elites have been charged. Interesting how they just stay invisible.

Perhaps they've made a getaway in a submarine ?

[waldroj]

Marvellous how Thai media have a way of spinning harsh reality into feel-good 'head in the sand' fantasy.

Case in point, only last month they were reporting Thailand was given more time to counter the IUU situation beyond the October 31 deadline. Meanwhile, the EU denies this, so it’s going to be interesting to see what unfolds in two-week’s time!

The headline to this article tells us of Big Progress, but in reality, this progress appears to be the government assistance package for those operators who failed to meet the legal requirements required to satisfy the EU IUU Regulation.

For those interested in an “alternate” spin on this issue (and a couple of other related examples), see an article by Harrison George at http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/5545.

[billd766]

I find it interesting that all the posters so far have been condemning the PM and this government for not doing enough.

Yet not one post has remarked or condemned ANY previous government at all though it has been going on for decades and during those decades no other government actually did anything other rhan ignoring the problem.

[Oziex1]

I find it interesting that all the posters so far have been condemning the PM and this government for not doing enough.

Yet not one post has remarked or condemned ANY previous government at all though it has been going on for decades and during those decades no other government actually did anything other rhan ignoring the problem.

The past is the past and is irrelevant, that those previous failed to act only makes it of greater importance to act now and provides an opportunity for the present administration to show it's self as proactive in addressing the issue, with the added benefit of presenting a positive image for the country as this is always spoken of as something of great importance to the administration.

Will they seize this opportunity, I think unlikely as the act of poor fishing methods is not seen as the problem only the complaints and threats by other nations are seen as the problem.

[casualbiker]

And here in Koh Kong (Cambodia) Hundreds of Thai fishing boats coming in offloading their catch instead of in Klong Yai (Trat province) and they are planning to construct a new pier for all the Thai boats! Big progress, yeah sure.

Most of those boats have Cambodian skippers and crew. Just another port to use!

[Lupatria]

The EU representatives are vetting fishing activities in Thailand between 13th and 22nd October.

What was the saying about the opera and the fat Lady?

[waldroj]

Cambodia is not an option for those who think they can back-door the system! They may as well dump their product cheaply on the Thai domestic market.

The following paragraphs are extracted from EU Press Release, 1 October 2015 (see http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-5736_en.htm)

As the world's largest importer of fisheries products, the EU has adopted a firm stance against illegal fishing worldwide. No access of fisheries products is allowed to the EU market, unless they are certified as legally fished. Such trade sanctions are currently in place for Cambodia.

Formal dialogue is ongoing with Curaçao (since November 2013), the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (since December 2014), and Thailand (since April 2015).

A few countries have not shown the necessary commitment to reforms. As a result fisheries products caught by vessels from Sri Lanka (since October 2014), and from Guinea and Cambodia (since November 2013) are banned from being imported into the EU (identification and listing or "red card").

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

And here in Koh Kong (Cambodia) Hundreds of Thai fishing boats coming in offloading their catch instead of in Klong Yai (Trat province) and they are planning to construct a new pier for all the Thai boats! Big progress, yeah sure.

Most of those boats have Cambodian skippers and crew. Just another port to use!

They must have learned Thai very fast, they speak very god Thai for being Khmer.