BANGKOK, Dec 18 (TNA) – On the second day of protest,
thousands of Thai fishermen demand a dialogue with only the Minister of
Agriculture seeking response to their 11-point petition including easing strict
fishing regulations.
At the rally outside the Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives, the number of protesters who are fishing trawler operators and
crew from 22 coastal provinces grew from 8,000 on Tuesday to nearly 10,000 on
Wednesday.
Leader of the group Mongkol Sukthanacharoen, Chairman of the
National Fisheries Association of Thailand (NFAT), met with advisors to
Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Chalermchai Sri-on but he insisted on
talks with only the minister.
“Chalermchai is the person in charge who can make decision;
talking with others leads nowhere,” he said.
The problems that hurt the fishermen had been delayed under
three agriculture ministers. He hoped
Chalermchai would push for solutions, Mongkol said.
Chalermchai has not promised to meet them but assured that
the government would address the labour shortage and debt issues.
Mongkol said the fishermen would step up their planned
one-month-long protest if the government does not make satisfactory response to
their demands.
In the past years, the government has introduced new
regulations and strict law enforcement to stamp out human trafficking and IUU
problems in the fishery industry. But
the protesters claim that fishing restrictions cause them higher operating
costs mounting debt problems. (TNA)
