Bangkok – Thailand has hosted a meeting between representatives of ASEAN nations to crackdown on illegal fishing activities in the region.
Thailand’s Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, Luck Wajananawat, reminded attendees of the deterioration seen in marine ecosystems in the ASEAN region due to over fishing and illegal activities in protected areas. He called for concerted efforts between member nations to enforce fishing policies, to boost confidence among consumers and trade partners, to prevent aquatic animal diseases and to crack down on illegal fishing.
Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, Adisorn Promthep, said Thailand’s own measures to address illegal fishing include registering fishing vessels, monitoring traffic, installing tracking systems on vessels and amending laws where appropriate.
The meeting aims to establish a consensus on illegal fishing policies, create an ASEAN-wide database for fishing vessels and share information on vessel traffic. So far, only Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar have agreed to cooperate on these agenda.
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