BANGKOK, Jan 9 (TNA) – The European Union (EU) has lifted its yellow card on the Thai fishing industry and the Thai government plans to expand campaigns against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing to other Southeast Asian nations.
Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries, announced the decision at the headquarters of the European Commission at 11am on Tuesday in Brussels.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya said it was good news and showed the successful efforts of all concerned parties in Thailand to solve IUU in the past four years since the issuance of the yellow card in April 2015.
The efforts covered laws, their enforcement, the management of fishing and fishing boats and control. The lifted yellow card showed that Thailand improved its fishing industry to international standard and was ready to jointly promote sustainable fishing with the EU, Gen Chatchai said.
“The Thai government is determined to continue to tackle IUU because it is aware of the necessity to conserve aquatic animals for people of the next generation not only in Thailand but also elsewhere in the world,” he said.
As chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Thailand would campaign against IUU with other Southeast Asian nations. It would push for the ASEAN General Fisheries Policy and the ASEAN IUU Task Force in the ASEAN IUU Workshop that it would organize in April, Gen Chatchai said. (TNA)
