The Royal Thai Navy and four government agencies began their inspection of Sattahip-area fishing boats, ensuring they are registered and meeting international standards to protect Thailand’s seafood exports to the European Union.
Adm. Sucheep Wangmaitree of the Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Area 1 joined officials from provincial labor protection, employment, management and social welfare agencies with five vessels in the March 10 operation out of the navy’s Klang Ao Pier.
A small fleet of naval inspection vessels leaves port to inspect Sattahip-area fishing boats to ensure they are registered and meet international standards to protect Thailand’s seafood exports to the European Union.
Authorities began inspection of fishing vessels weighing 30-60 tons to check compliance with the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing program.
The Labor Minister is checking whether boats are registered, whether they employ underage crewmen, and whether workers were paid the minimum wage and had work permits, if necessary.
The inspections were required by the Feb. 20 adoption of the Ministerial Regulation No.10 on protection of fisheries workers. The regulation focuses security and welfare for those in the fishing industry and preventing human trafficking.
Sucheep explained that the European Union requires all countries that are exporting seafood to EU member countries verify that products were derived from fishing boats that complied with the IUU regulations.
Until now, Thailand has not complied with IUU rules, so the European Union gave Thailand six months to do so, starting from February this year. If Thailand cannot resolve the problems, it will be listed as a country that does not cooperate with the European Union under the IUU, resulting in a ban of Thai seafood exports to the EU.
