Thailand overhauls fishery regulations and management

BANGKOK, February 9 (TNA) - Thai authorities overhaul their regulations and management of the country's fishery sector as part of the government's solution to issues related to the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, claimed by the European Union (EU). Chirute Visalachitra, Director-General of the Marine Department, under the Thai Ministry of Transport, told journalists on February 8 that under the restructured system, operators of Thai fishing boats are all required to apply for their commercial fishing licenses and licenses for the use of fishing boats during 2018-2020 at district or fishery offices of coastal provinces where they live from January 20-February 20. Chirute stressed those who are found running their fishing businesses and fishing boats without the strictly-required twin licenses will each face stern punishment in criminal and administrative regulations as of April 1, 2018. Chirute explained that the twin legal licenses are part of a new official mechanism to prevent and solve problems related to the IUU fishing. Besides, the new measures will show that the licensed vessels meet official requirements as stated in new Thai fishery laws, covering their specifications and conditions that meet international standards and the installation of well-equipped communication and rescue devices. According to the senior official, the new twin licenses in the Thai fishery sector, with the same two year-expiry and renewal period each time, is also aimed to solve the problems of the intrusion of the Thai waters by foreign vessels and the illegal employment of fishing workers offshore, as his department and the Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, are authorized to work together to strictly check fishing vessels to see whether they can be allowed to enter the Thai territorial waters. (TNA)