BANGKOK, Sept 21 (TNA) – The cabinet approved a 287-millon-baht budget as compensation for the destruction of illegal fishing boats in the second-phase implementation of government policies to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said that as the government was suppressing IUU, it blocked a certain number of illegal fishing boats from operating since 2015. Consequently the owners of such boats suffered their maintenance costs.
This year 9,608 fishing boats were licensed but their number was too high and marine resources were declining, Ms Rachada said.
To restore balance between the number of commercial fishing boats and marine resources and compensate the owners of affected fishing boats, the cabinet allocated the 287-million-baht budget as compensation for the owners of 59 illegal fishing boats who were qualified for assistance in the second phase of IUU suppression. The boats would be excluded from fisheries, Ms Rachada said.
In the first phase, the government paid 764.45 million baht as compensation for the owners of 305 illegal fishing boats (out of 570 illegal fishing boats identified). (TNA)
