EU gives Thailand 6 more months to solve IUU fishing

[webfact]

EU gives Thailand 6 more months to solve IUU fishing

BANGKOK, 24 May 2016 (NNT) - Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan has revealed the European Union (EU) has given Thailand six more months to solve illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

According to Gen Prawit, the EU praised Thailand for its efforts to solve IUU fishing issues within the bloc's framework. Thailand has also been granted a six-month extension to align its fisheries to EU standards.

However, the EU has yet to upgrade the country’s rank on the IUU fishing list due to pending issuess such as overfishing and the installation of VMS systems on fishing vessels. European officials will visit Thailand in two months to help it overcome these problems.


-- NNT 2016-05-24

[kotsak]

Seems EU has started dealing with problems the same way Thailand does.. Didn't they say the same 6 months ago?

[Nbarch]

Am I missing something? I thought the government said they had solved ALL the problems in fishing?

One thing I am sure of; the EU is spineless!

[clockman]

Pathetic, they really have no idea about Thailand.

[PatOngo]

The EU have really gone for the jugular this time, have'nt they!!!

[johng]

I think we should wait to read what the EU actually said.

[marcusd]

This has been happening for months. thialand is an important fishing market for the EU. they don't want to KILL OFF Thailand the way some of us here want,; BUT they are steadfastly making a point. they will stop Imports if Thailand does not do something.

Next is Subi airport and if they don't fix that there goes the tourist numbers

thialand has major issues now.

Cannot borrow money

No one likes the Government

Ficjing

Airport needs BIG money spen or planes wont come

Rice and Crops down due to drought

Mining closures loss of work

Car plants decreasing

Economy tanking due to world effects (GDP does not count much in the figures released. )

Yep, its a rough sea ahead here

[waldroj]

Nothing fishy about the EU decision!

Edited May 24, 2016 by waldroj

[Baerboxer]

This has been happening for months. thialand is an important fishing market for the EU. they don't want to KILL OFF Thailand the way some of us here want,; BUT they are steadfastly making a point. they will stop Imports if Thailand does not do something.

Next is Subi airport and if they don't fix that there goes the tourist numbers

thialand has major issues now.

Cannot borrow money

No one likes the Government

Ficjing

Airport needs BIG money spen or planes wont come

Rice and Crops down due to drought

Mining closures loss of work

Car plants decreasing

Economy tanking due to world effects (GDP does not count much in the figures released. )

Yep, its a rough sea ahead here

And of course no other country has issues and Thailand never had any of the issues before May 2014.

So obvious.

And which political leader and his minions was in government, in various guises, for most of this century? And they did exactly what to address any of these issues?

But hey, don't let facts or the details behind spoil your rhetoric.

[jamesbrock]

I think we should wait to read what the EU actually said.

The EC press release: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-4806_en.htm

"Brussels, 21 April 2015

The European Commission has today put Thailand on formal notice for not taking sufficient measures in the international fight against illegal fishing (IUU).

As a result of a thorough analysis and a series of discussions with Thai authorities since 2011, the Commission has denounced the country's shortcomings in its fisheries monitoring, control and sanctioning systems and concludes that Thailand is not doing enough.

European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, stated: “Our EU rigorous policy on a harmful practice such as illegal fishing, together with our genuine capacity to act, is paying off. I urge Thailand to join the European Union in the fight for sustainable fisheries Failure to take strong action against illegal fishing will carry consequences.”

Today's Decision starts a formal procedure of dialogue with the Thai authorities to make them take the necessary corrective measures. They will be given six months to implement a corrective tailor-made action plan.

Should the situation not improve, the EU could resort to banning fisheries imports from Thailand. Such measure was taken in the past with Belize, Guinea, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Imports from Belize were banned last year but due to the reforming efforts of the authorities they are now allowed."

Thailand was also mentioned in two other press releases the same day. This: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-1457_en.htm

Sri Lanka joins the growing list of countries (Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Korea, the Philippines, Fiji, Belize, Panama, Togo and Vanuatu) that have reformed their systems, following a warning by the EU.

In this context, the Commission attaches particular importance to the ongoing dialogue with Thailand. The country was warned with a yellow card due to its inadequate fisheries legal framework and poor monitoring, control and traceability systems. Like all pre-identified countries, Thailand was proposed an action plan to address shortcomings. The Commission is currently evaluating progress. The dialogue is proving difficult and there remain serious concerns about the steps taken by Thailand to fight IUU fishing activities. This means that further action by the Commission cannot be ruled out. A meeting with the Thai authorities in May will be a new opportunity for them to show their good will and commitment.

And this fact sheet: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-1460_en.htm

The main shortcomings that led to Thailand's pre-listing were: inadequate fisheries legal framework, with sanctions that failed to deter; poor monitoring, control and traceability systems; and problematic fisheries management.

Associated problems include human trafficking and slave labour in the fisheries sector. While the EUIUU Regulation does not address human trafficking and working conditions on-board fishing vessels, improvements in the fisheries control system will also improve the control of labour conditions in the seafood industry. At the same time, several Commission services continue to work on the issues of human trafficking and slave labour in Thailand.

[cornishcarlos]

So according to the linked articles above, the EU did NOT praise Thailand for it's efforts as stated by Prawit !!

But he'll keep up the BS as always...

[jamesbrock]

Oh, I just realised that first press release I linked to is dated one year ago - how many more "6 months" do they want to give before imposing "consequences"?

Edited May 24, 2016 by jamesbrock

[wabothai]

Pathetic, they really have no idea about Thailand.

Absolutely, I wonder who these folks are. First time vacationers?

[tuanku]

I wonder if Gen Prawit is familiar with the idiom, to damn with faint praise?

Damning with faint praise is an English idiom for words that effectively condemn by seeming to offer praise which is too moderate or marginal to be considered praise at all.^[1]In other words, this phrase identifies the act of expressing a compliment so feeble that it amounts to no compliment at all, or even implies a kind of condemnation.^[2]

[William C F Pierce]

Doe Thailand really care? Gen. Prayut has just been been to Russia. It begs the question as to how much fish will be sold for buying Russian Tanks?

[Winniedapu]

This has been happening for months. thialand is an important fishing market for the EU. they don't want to KILL OFF Thailand the way some of us here want,; BUT they are steadfastly making a point. they will stop Imports if Thailand does not do something.

Next is Subi airport and if they don't fix that there goes the tourist numbers

thialand has major issues now.

Cannot borrow money

No one likes the Government

Ficjing

Airport needs BIG money spen or planes wont come

Rice and Crops down due to drought

Mining closures loss of work

Car plants decreasing

Economy tanking due to world effects (GDP does not count much in the figures released. )

Yep, its a rough sea ahead here

And of course no other country has issues and Thailand never had any of the issues before May 2014.

So obvious.

And which political leader and his minions was in government, in various guises, for most of this century? And they did exactly what to address any of these issues?

But hey, don't let facts or the details behind spoil your rhetoric.

but but but... Thaksin.

Gets a bit boring after a while, still, I understand why... numbers getting a bit low in the JH camp.

Winnie

[allan michaud]

This has been happening for months. thialand is an important fishing market for the EU. they don't want to KILL OFF Thailand the way some of us here want,; BUT they are steadfastly making a point. they will stop Imports if Thailand does not do something.

Next is Subi airport and if they don't fix that there goes the tourist numbers

thialand has major issues now.

Cannot borrow money

No one likes the Government

Ficjing

Airport needs BIG money spen or planes wont come

Rice and Crops down due to drought

Mining closures loss of work

Car plants decreasing

Economy tanking due to world effects (GDP does not count much in the figures released. )

Yep, its a rough sea ahead here

And of course no other country has issues and Thailand never had any of the issues before May 2014.

So obvious.

And which political leader and his minions was in government, in various guises, for most of this century? And they did exactly what to address any of these issues?

But hey, don't let facts or the details behind spoil your rhetoric.

Try reading what he said. None of it is incorrect and the remark about this going on for months refers to the EU pressuring the govt, not the fact that Thai fishing has ALWAYS been like this, both before, during and after Thaksin. I didn't see anything that warrants your dumbassed 'rhetoric'.

[Snig27]

This has been happening for months. thialand is an important fishing market for the EU. they don't want to KILL OFF Thailand the way some of us here want,; BUT they are steadfastly making a point. they will stop Imports if Thailand does not do something.

Next is Subi airport and if they don't fix that there goes the tourist numbers

thialand has major issues now.

Cannot borrow money

No one likes the Government

Ficjing

Airport needs BIG money spen or planes wont come

Rice and Crops down due to drought

Mining closures loss of work

Car plants decreasing

Economy tanking due to world effects (GDP does not count much in the figures released. )

Yep, its a rough sea ahead here

And of course no other country has issues and Thailand never had any of the issues before May 2014.

So obvious.

And which political leader and his minions was in government, in various guises, for most of this century? And they did exactly what to address any of these issues?

But hey, don't let facts or the details behind spoil your rhetoric.

Try reading what he said. None of it is incorrect and the remark about this going on for months refers to the EU pressuring the govt, not the fact that Thai fishing has ALWAYS been like this, both before, during and after Thaksin. I didn't see anything that warrants your dumbassed 'rhetoric'.

You'll note that the poster has but one theme - he blames Thaksin for everything: the weather, the economy, his failure to accept that his uncritical acceptance of everything about the junta has no legs anymore, the nation's imploding human rights record, the drought and so on.

And he does it in a way that implies that anyone who dares to question his position is just plain stupid.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Snig27

[marcusd]

This has been happening for months. thialand is an important fishing market for the EU. they don't want to KILL OFF Thailand the way some of us here want,; BUT they are steadfastly making a point. they will stop Imports if Thailand does not do something.

Next is Subi airport and if they don't fix that there goes the tourist numbers

thialand has major issues now.

Cannot borrow money

No one likes the Government

Ficjing

Airport needs BIG money spen or planes wont come

Rice and Crops down due to drought

Mining closures loss of work

Car plants decreasing

Economy tanking due to world effects (GDP does not count much in the figures released. )

Yep, its a rough sea ahead here

And of course no other country has issues and Thailand never had any of the issues before May 2014.

So obvious.

And which political leader and his minions was in government, in various guises, for most of this century? And they did exactly what to address any of these issues?

But hey, don't let facts or the details behind spoil your rhetoric.

Look I have no haggle with you but you can say and live here and enjoy being kicked like a turd on the pavement.

that is not my style.

The whole country is going downhill, and, maybe you have not had the pleasure of seeing another country for some time to experience the dwindling happening here? Other countries do have issues BUT WE ARE TALKING about HERE. Not them. i am saying there are BETTER Asian options.

They are doing NOTHING here to solve anything from the past.

And you bringing it up is like saying ooh there is smoke there and waiting for someone else to blame for the fire rather than PUTTING THE BASTARD THING OUT.

[phoenixdoglover]

If there was ever an NNT article deserving of a retraction, this would be it.

Then there is "face".

Hahaha! There will be no retraction.