BANGKOK – Thailand has been urged to take further steps to eradicate fishing pirates and slavery.
Following a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan and Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) Executive Director Steve Trent, the deputy prime minister revealed that both sides had discussed Thailand’s current efforts against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the associated human rights abuses and human trafficking in the Thai seafood sector.
He said the government had been encouraged to complete the ratification and implementation of the Port State Measures Agreement, an international treaty designed to stop IUU fish entering ports and gaining access to markets.
The foundation also recommended an urgent investment in translation and language capabilities of Thai officials responsible for investigating labor abuses, as part of a broader move to a victim-centered approach to these investigations.
