Thailand and Taiwan to cooperate in resolving IUU fishing



BANGKOK: -- Thailand and Taiwan have entered an agreement that will help each other to resolve the illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing which they both were yellow- carded by the European Union.

According to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikulya, both countries would share important information on tuna fishing.

Gen Chatchai said Thai and Taiwanese fishery officials met recently to resolve issues related to IUU fishing as both countries were yellow-carded by EU on fishing.

He said it was Thailand’s initiative to seek cooperation from other country as a way of providing more comprehensive IUU fishing prevention.

According to Gen Chatchai, EU yellow carded Taiwan after its fishing boats were allegedly found trawling for tuna in international waters.

Thailand has also been yellow carded, due in part to its association with Taiwan as a major tuna processor.

Taiwan is a major exporter of tuna to Europe and the United States.

He said both countries agreed to share important information on tuna fishing, such as boat registration, fishing licenses and landfalls.

He said a joint committee will be set up to inspect Taiwanese fishing vessels arriving in Phuket to offload their catch.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/154984


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-14

Misery loves company, but is Taiwan using slave labor on fishing boats or was Taiwan yellow-carded for processing seafood caught by Thai slave labor?