(Information Source: Bangkok Post by Phusadee Arunmas, on Wed Jan 31, 2024)

The boats of local fishermen docked in Koh Raet, Surat Thani. (Photo: Karnjana Karnjanatawe) 

The cabinet on Tuesday approved in principle a draft Fisheries Act amendment, aiming to alleviate the hardships faced by the industry and promote more efficient and effective fisheries practices.

According to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke, amendments to the Fisheries Act of 2015 were made to address the significant impact to more than 600,000 coastal small-scale fishing households in 20 provinces.

Many of them had to abandon the profession because of rigid laws, he said.

These hardships have not been effectively addressed, although amendments were made in 2017 to address the issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices imposed by trading partners, said Mr Chai.

"The government sees it as imperative to reduce the impact on local fisheries and emphasise sustainable practices. A key change includes the requirement for local fisheries registration, limited to Thai nationals only. Penalties for violations will focus primarily on confiscating licences, specifically for vessels found in breach," he said.

"The amendments allow small fisheries to transfer licences for vessels of under 10 tonnes to their heirs, a change from the previous restriction."
The purpose of these amendments is to set out different rules for large-scale commercial fishing from small-scale coastal fishing, said Mr Chai.

The cabinet also tasked the Council of State with reviewing the details to ensure the draft is improved and compatible with international regulations on IUU fishing.

The revised draft will be resubmitted to the cabinet for reconsideration within one month, he said. Following cabinet approval, the draft proceeds to the parliament for deliberation.

Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said earlier as chairman of the marine fisheries committee the amendments aim to revoke unfair executive decrees.

The amendments also need to proceed in tandem with negotiations with foreign counterparts to gain acceptance of Thai principles, said Mr Phumtham.

The goal is to achieve a balance where both parties benefit, restoring justice to local fishermen and reviving the local fishing industry, he said.

Mr Phumtham said his advisor, Plodprasop Suraswadi, will lead the delegation to negotiate with the EU regarding the amendment of IUU rules to align with the market reality in Thailand. He said the Thai side would request flexibility from the EU and ensure alignment with the market reality, aiming to improve the quality of life for Thai fishermen.