Thread: Owners of fishing boats threaten to stop fishing to protest against IUU restrictions

Owners of fishing boats in Pattani have threatened to stop fishing to put pressure on the government to ease restrictions on illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing which they claim are impractical and affect their business.


Informed fishing industry sources from Pattani said that between 300-400 fishing boats were heading back to fishing piers in the province to join several other fishing vessels which were already anchored in piers to await response from the government over their petition for a reprieve from IUU fishing restrictions.


The sources warned that as many as 2,000 fishing boats of different sizes would head back to piers to join the fishing stoppage.


Meanwhile in Songkhla province, the provincial fishery association has submitted a petition to the Command Centre to Combat Illegal Fishing to review the IUU fishing restrictions.


Mr Suradet Nil-uon, president of the Songkhla fishery association, said that their petition was accepted for consideration, resulting to operators of fishing boats to hold off their plan to stop fishing as a gesture of protest.


However, he warned that 700 fishing boats which are now out in the open sea fishing would return from the sea in 12 hours if there was no positive response from the government.


Trang fishery association president SaritpakPamornvisit said that operators of fishing boats in several provinces had joined force to make known their protest against the IUU fishing restrictions.


He claimed that most fishing vessel owners wanted the government to revise the memorandum of understanding signed with the European Union regarding IUU fishing.


Owners of fishing boats threaten to stop fishing to protest against IUU restrictions - Thai PBS English News

so let them come back to port then , they will lose . ( I

Doesn't seem a clever strategy, does it.

Thainess

Sort of like the "I'm going to hold my breath until you give me what I want" stupidity.
And like parents protesting that their children aren't allowed to drive themsekves to school, these fishermen are saying, in effect, that they demand to be able to fish illegally.

Songkla fishers to not join protests after their demands were received

SONGKLA, 9 April 2018 (NNT) – Songkla fishers have assured they will not be joining a seaside protest taking place in several provinces after the government and European Union rejected several demands by the fisheries sector as the province has received the go-ahead to commence fishing.

Chairman of the Songkla Fishing Association Suradech Nil-ubol called a meeting of the province’s 300 fisheries on April 3 to produce four demands for the government. The demands were for the list of required equipment on boats to be revamped, taking into account newer technology streamlining some requirements, for the Royal Thai Navy to take part in considering the necessity of regulations being put out by various agencies, for work permits for Thai fishermen to be expedited so that they may take the place of foreign laborers and for fishing boats under 15 tons gross to also be vetted.

The association has since decided to not take part in protests happening in other provinces as the government has accepted its demands for consideration, stating however that it will continue to move according to the law and constitution to secure its objectives.


National News Bureau Of Thailand | Songkla fishers to not join protests after their demands were received