Attempts to make Thailand free of IUU fishing

BANGKOK, Aug 29 (TNA) -- Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya has ordered relevant officials to quickly eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the country as the legality of 10,743 local fishing boats have been confirmed. Gen Chatchai said solutions to IUU fishing made good progress as planned especially on the registration of fishing boats. Many organizations including those in the government sector and the private sector joined forces to update the number and statuses of local fishing boats. Finally authorities came up with the exact number of 10,743 legal fishing boats, the deputy prime minister said. Authorities also acknowledged that there were 779 wrecks of fishing boats off 22 coastal provinces and their demolition would start on Sept 1, he said. “The demolition will eradicate the problem of the illegal boats that use the licenses of shipwrecks in the Thai waters. In the past, fishing boats with the licenses of other boats were involved in illegal fishing. This damaged Thai fishing and opened chances of corruption. No other governments dared to solve the problem but this government dares to do what is right,” Gen Chatchai said. He said he hoped that solutions to IUU fishing would promote sustainable fishing in Thailand. (TNA)