8,000 illegal fishing boats forced to stay ashore

[snoop1130]

8,000 illegal fishing boats forced to stay ashore
By: THE NATION

BANGKOK: --TO DEAL with the problem of illegal fishing, the authorities have terminated the operation of more than 8,000 illegal fishing trawlers, the Command Centre for Combating Illegal Fishing (CCCIF) said yesterday.

The centre has also settled a conflict between a local fishing community and big commercial trawlers by marking out borders for them, it said. The borders are about 10 kilometres from the shore in the Gulf of Thailand and some 5km into the Andaman Sea.

Trawlers that are larger than 6 gross tons must be equipped with a surveillance system, the CCCIF said, adding that this system has already been installed in 4,968 fishing trawlers so far.

Thailand has been making an effort to maintain order in the fishing industry since the European Union gave it a yellow card in April for its illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices. However, the EU extended its six-month deadline from October for the country to improve its fishing practices.

Measures to stop illegal practices have had some implications on small fishing operators, and in response to this, the Cabinet approved a Bt228-million budget to assist fishermen, the CCCIF said. Some of them have been granted soft loans to help them switch professions, it said.

The CCCIF also mapped out a five-year national action plan to counter illegal fishing and get fishing folk in the Kingdom to comply with international standards, it said.

Vice Admiral Jumpol Lumpiganon, as chairman of the CCCIF, told the press yesterday that Thailand had taken big steps in combating issues related to labour and illegal fishing over the past year in response to the EU's demands.

"The Kingdom is now looking beyond accomplishing the EU's decision on whether to upgrade Thailand, as the country is moving in the right direction, which meets international standards. We hope Thailand will pass all assessments in the future," he said.

Jumpol added that the government had been working closely with the private sector and had set up a management plan to deal with IUU fishing by issuing and enforcing many laws and regulations.

He added that 22 EU envoys had said in an initial meeting that they were quite satisfied with Thailand's moves to fix IUU issues. He said the EU would send a team to check on Thailand's efforts next month, before deciding whether it will maintain the country's yellow card or upgrade or downgrade its status.

He said the EU would have to provide a clear explanation if it decides to continue maintain the yellow card or downgrade its status, especially since the Kingdom has been making strong efforts to tackle IUU.

In addition to the sustainable development of the fishing industry, the government is drawing up a new bill on protecting national marine interests by integrating the work of 16 government agencies. The process of enacting this new bill is expected to be completed in six months to a year, after which the government will turn its Command Centre for Combating Illegal Fishing into a centre for protecting national marine interests.

Arak Prommanee, director-general of the Department of Employment, said the government was also going ahead with enforcing stringent laws to protect youth. Under the new labour-protection law, anybody in the fishing industry employing workers under the age of 18 will be subject to maximum punishment.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/8000-illegal-fishing-boats-forced-to-stay-ashore-30274346.html

-- The Nation 2015-12-04

[clockman]

The CNN, Money, lawsuit against Costco. Is another slave labour report!

[Ks45672]

8000+ are illegal?? <deleted>

Around 4900 have been fitted with GPS

So nearly two thirds of the vessels are fishing illegally?? These are crazy numbers

The same argument could be applied to land, Most cities in Thai have been fitted with cctv, and have a police box at every intersection and random checkpoints, doesn't stop people breaking the rules so can imagine what they do while fishing at sea miles away from the nearest police..

[DeepInTheForest]

Measures to stop illegal practices have had some implications on small fishing operators, and in response to this, the Cabinet approved a Bt228-million budget to assist fishermen, the CCCIF said. Some of them have been granted soft loans to help them switch professions, it said.

A travesty and a cruel end for artisinal fishermen. The net result here will be the further monopolization of what should be a shared resource. In a just world, small fishermen would be encouraged-- it would result in less class inequality. Small fishermen were not the ones responsible for the slave trade on fishing boats, after all.

The displaced fishermen will almost certainly become wage slaves like the rest of us, herded into cities and leading lives of ever-increasing precarity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precarity) . And isn't that the point of our economic system? To privatize the commons and render independent people helpless, clawing for the stray bits of wages that our corporate managers deem us worthy of?

Unless, of course, the fishermen take their "soft loans" and use the money to become stockbrokers, high-tech entrepreneurs, bankers, doctors, and real estate developers. Can't wait to see that happen.

What a vicious and sadistic joke the bolded sentence above is.

Edited December 4, 2015 by DeepInTheForest

[nichol]

Giving the ground crew new table tennis bats at the last minute to direct the planes in did not fix the problems concerning aviation safety and surprisingly the USA banned them from flying to the USA ( no new routes same difference ), to be followed on the 10th Dec by the EU only this time the consequences it will be a lot more severe as they have a big stake in the European market, and that's even before all their affiliate partners do a runner,

so giving 228 million Baht ( less commission ) to the ocean plunders / slave masters to drink and buy a couple of cheap fishing rods will undoubtedly have the same affect

" did anyone see our horse "

[maoro2013]

Yes, I don't believe the numbers either. The word trawler is a specific type of vessel and most fishing boats I have seen here don't qualify.

[Deli]

And when will finally the 8000 illegal taxis on Phuket been taken off the roads ?

[Seastallion]

"He added that 22 EU envoys had said in an initial meeting that they were quite satisfied with Thailand's moves to fix IUU issues. "

I'd like to have a look at the minutes of that meeting. What's the bet that the "quite satisfied" is spin for "gravely concerned but we do love the coffee you serve..."

[jaywalker]

Tough to believe they are actually enforcing laws... Laws that actually make some modicum of sense that is.

Edited December 5, 2015 by jaywalker

[fleur3]

He added that 22 EU envoys had said in an initial meeting that they were quite satisfied with Thailand's moves to fix IUU issues. He said the EU would send a team to check on Thailand's efforts next month, before deciding whether it will maintain the country's yellow card or upgrade or downgrade its status.

He said the EU would have to provide a clear explanation if it decides to continue maintain the yellow card or downgrade its status, especially since the Kingdom has been making strong efforts to tackle IUU.

Unbelievable !! TAT

[elgordo38]

I wonder which world wide distributor will be crying in his beer over the loss of supply.