PM sets seal on fishing rules

The government is tightening measures against Illegal,

 Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and tying up loose

ends ahead of the European Union's inspection next week.

During a cabinet meeting Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister

 Gen Prawit Wongsuwon revealed a list outlining government

 efforts to clamp down on IUU fishing that will be presented

to the EU delegation between Jan 18 and 22. Thailand was

issued a yellow card last April for failing to tackle illegal

 fishing practices.

The EU delegation, composed of inspectors and envoys, is

expected to announce whether to rescind the yellow card or

issue a red one at the end of the visit or soon after.

 A red card will mean an automatic EU import ban on Thai

seafood products.

Gen Prawit has called a final meeting between state agencies

 for tomorrow, to prepare for the visit.

"I'm certain Thailand will pass the inspection," he said confidently.

All agencies were ordered to implement measures laid down

 by the government by last Friday, as well as prepare necessary

 documents and information to present to the EU team.

 Among the measures introduced by the government since the

 middle of 2015, are a revised Fisheries Act – which came into

 force last June -- and 31 related laws published in the

 Royal Gazette.

 Another 21 are about to be published. According to the

 Command Centre for Combating Illegal Fishing (CCCIF),

Thailand has inspected 317 fishing vessels operating in its

territorial waters for signs of illegal fishing. The EU only

 required the authorities to examine 220, or 10% of the total

number of vessels in home waters.

However, authorities have only inspected 43 vessels that operate

 in international waters out of a required 73.

 The EU also demanded that 10% of the country's seafood

 processing factories be inspected --or 81 factories. Of the

115 factories examined by the Fisheries Department,

 five were ordered to close for 10 days after they were found

to have violated regulations.

Three are facing permanent closure, while the Industry Ministry

 shut down another factory.

An E-licence system for contractors will be finalised before
Jan 30, the government says, while procedures to improve the
 issuing of licences and the monitoring of vessels in real-time
 and online were completed last month.

A total of 2,076 trawlers -- out of 2216 -- weighing more
 than 60 gross tonnes were equipped with Vessel Monitoring
 Systems.

Authorities say they are making the presence of observers on

 board trawlers that weigh more than 60 gross tonnes mandatory.

 The Fisheries Department has trained these observers to detect

 unusual activities and could be deployed later this month.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has

forwarded human trafficking cases to prosecuters. Among

the 41 cases handed to them between October and

December 2015, eight were directly linked to the

fishing industry.

The government has also joined forces with seafood enterprises,

 non-governmental organisations -- including Greenpeace and

the International Labour Organisation -- and other governments

through the signing of agreements.

 These include an agreement on migrant labour with Vietnam

 and Cambodia.

In another development, the cabinet also approved a new

 ministerial regulation prohibiting children under 18 working

 in seafood processing factories.

Previously children under 18 were allowed to work anywhere

except in slaughterhouses, gambling dens and massage parlours,

 government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.

News,Politics, Bangkok Post,  12 January 2016.

 

As we have revised Fisheries Act.

We do inspected fishing vessels operating in its territorial waters

for signs of illegal fishing.

We have completed procedures to improve the issuing of licences

 and the monitoring of vessels in real-time and online.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has

forwarded human trafficking cases to prosecuters.

The government has also joined forces with seafood enterprises,

 non-governmental organizations.

And the cabinet also approved a new ministerial regulation

 prohibiting children under 18 working in seafood

 processing factories.

 

Hope Thailand will the inspection of red card from EU.

 

Sincerely Yours.