(Information Source: Undercurrent News, on Mon Oct 21, 2019, 10:20 BST)
Credit: Enviromental Justice Foundation
Thai deputy prime minister, General Prawit Wongsuwan, committed to protect and build on recent fisheries reforms in Thailand during a meeting with the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)’s executive director, Steve Trent.
Thailand has implemented substantial reforms, designed to eradicate illegal fishing and address human rights abuse at sea. However, in recent months the National Fishing Association of Thailand has been lobbying the government to roll-back many of these progressive measures. This show of renewed political will to protect and strengthen the reforms is a welcome sign, said EJF.
Thai processed/canned tuna exports Source: Thai customs
For the past five years, EJF has worked closely with the Royal Thai government to
eradicate the illegal fishing and human rights abuse that has plagued its fishing industry. The country has made significant strides forward, according to EJF.
In 2018, Thailand became the first country in Asia to ratify the International Labour Organization’s convention, which promises protection to the victims of forced labor and sanctions for the perpetrators. This year, it ratified the ILO’s Work in Fishing Convention C188, which sets basic standards of work in the fishing industry, again the first country in Asia to do so. This progress has been recognized by the EU, and the country’s ‘yellow card’ trade warning over illegal fishing was lifted earlier this year.
Thailand’s monitoring, surveillance, and enforcement capabilities have also shown good progress, and a move towards transparency, including making license lists public, have been important steps, according to EJF.
In recent months, however, concerns have been raised over demands by the National Fisheries Association of Thailand (NFAT) that the government rollback on reforms.
In a closed-door meeting, NFAT demanded that all restrictions on the crew and catch transfers at sea be lifted. This would allow abusive vessel owners to swap enslaved migrants between vessels so that they almost never made landfall, with virtually no chance of escape or detection by the authorities. Numerous such cases were documented in Thai fisheries before the current reforms were implemented.
It would also allow operators to launder illegally caught fish between boats so it was no longer traceable, allowing it to make its way into international supply chains undetected.
The message from the meetings with EJF, however, show that the government continues to take a firm stance on driving the reforms forward.
Deputy prime minister Wongsuwan said at the meeting: “Thailand acknowledges the importance of continuing with the reforms and the government will persevere with that to secure marine sustainability and lead the country to become an IUU [illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing] free nation.”
“The reforms brought in by the Royal Thai Government have had a clear, important, positive impact on Thailand’s fisheries and the entire region of Southeast Asia. They have been crucial to the country’s economy, fish stocks and international reputation. The clear message that came from my meeting with deputy prime minister Wongsuwan was that the government recognizes the importance of these reforms, according to EJF. It is very reassuring to hear that the government is committed to entrenching these reforms to prevent Thailand’s fisheries returning to their dark past," Trent said.
EJF remains committed to working with the government and all other stakeholders across the fishing and seafood sectors to deliver a sustainable, legal and ethical industry.
EJF has worked in Thailand since 2013 and has documented numerous cases of slavery, brutal physical abuse, human trafficking and even murder on the country’s fishing fleet.
There are an estimated 4.5 million migrant workers in Thailand with 222,000 workers in the seafood processing sector and approximately 129,000 workers on-board fishing vessels, according to the Thai Ministry of labour. These workers represent a significant portion of Thailand’s workforce and are operating in one of the most dangerous professions in the world.
