BELGIUM, Jan 10 (TNA) – European importers have confidence in Thai seafood as the European Union already removed Thailand from its yellow card watch list, said Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya.
Gen Chatichai spoke to reporters after meeting European importers of Thai seafood in Brussels. Participants in the meeting included representatives of large-scaled operators such as Charoen Pokphand Food PCL in the United Kingdom and the sustainability-oriented foreign trade association AMFORI.
Importers highly valued systems to trace the original sources of seafood products and Thailand’s improved fishing industry guaranteed traceability to show that it did not source raw materials from any illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, the deputy prime minister said.
“Today’s success plays important roles in clearing Thailand of IUU fishing and human trafficking accusations. Importers and consumers have confidence in Thai seafood,” he said.
Gen Chatchai said that although Thailand had faced IUU fishing and human trafficking problems in the past, European importers always had confidence in Thai seafood.
Thailand, as the world’s 4th biggest seafood producer and exporter, was ready to join forces with the international community to conserve marine resources and have the resources shared fairly between commercial and local fishermen, he said. (TNA)
