Thai authorities seize 7 illegal fishing vessels in Phuket

PHUKET, THAILAND, November 29 (TNA) - Authorities at Thailand's Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Centre (THAI-MECC), Area 3, have seized seven illegal fishing vessels at a port in the southern resort Phuket Province, an operation as part of the Thai government's solution to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing issues. Commander of the 3rd Navy Area Command Vice Admiral Surapol Kuptaphan, in his capacity as the THAI-MECC chief, told journalists on November 28 that the action was taken during an intensified patrol of the Thai territorial waters among concerned agencies recently. The THAI-MECC chief said the seven seized boats were all tuna fishing vessels, with their crew aboard claiming the vessels to be registered in Bolivia and docked at the Rasada Port in Muang District while waiting for maintenance. The THAI-MECC chief revealed although the captains and all crew members presented their legal identifications, the Thai authorities detected faults in documents of the vessels, prompting them to double check the documents with the Bolivian government. The Bolivian government notified on November 22 that all the seven fishing vessels were not registered in Bolivia and were not allowed to conduct any fishing operation for the country. The Thai marine officers then filed charges against representatives of the owners of the vessels for using illegal documents, while for the seven seized ships, they would be allowed to leave the port only after their owners or representatives submit legal registration documents of the vessels to the Thai authorities. (TNA)