Fishing boats tie up in a harbour in Phetchaburi Feb 16.
The EU will leave in place its “yellow card” on Thailand’s seafood
industry due to continuing concerns over fisheries and labour practices.
(Photo by Thanarak Khunton)
BRUSSELS -- The European Union will maintain
its threat of a seafood import ban on Thailand because the nation still
is not doing enough to improve its fisheries and labour practices,
officials said Thursday.
The 28-nation EU is keeping up the pressure because even
some Thai legislation enacted last year to curb illegal practices was
not sufficiently followed up by action over the past months, two EU
officials with knowledge of the ongoing talks told the Associated Press.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is seen as
a major contributor to dwindling fish stocks across the globe, while in
Thailand it has also led to illegal labour practices amounting in some
cases to slave labour.
"We continue to have serious concerns about the steps taken
by the Thai authorities to fight illegal and unregulated fishing
activities. This means that further action by the EU Commission cannot
be ruled out," said one official, who asked not to be identified because
of the sensitivity of the talks.
Government officials in Bangkok insist they are working hard to fundamentally change the practices of the past.
Thailand, the third-largest global seafood exporter, with a
stake of 8.1% of global exports, needs the wealthy European market to
maintain its seafood prominence. Annual fish exports to the EU are
estimated to be worth between 22.8 billion and 28.9 billion baht (575
million and 730 million euros).
Beyond illegal fishing though, the country also faces the slavery issue.
The Associated Press has exposed during a two-year
investigation labour abuses amounting to slavery. In addition to freeing
more than 2,000 slaves, the reporting resulted in the arrest of a dozen
alleged traffickers-so far eight have been convicted and sentenced-the
seizing of millions of dollars' worth of seafood and vessels, several
lawsuits, and legal actions by governments and corporations.
EU officials have said that the slavery and labour issues
are intimately intertwined with the illegal fishing industry, and that a
cleanup of the sector will automatically also have an impact on the
labour situation.
The news that Thailand would continue to work under a
so-called yellow card threat came Thursday as the EU Commission was
assessing other nations from across the world whether they would be
punished for unsustainable fishing that further weakens threatened fish
stocks or whether reforms in some nations would result in lifting the
threat of sanctions. Thailand was given a yellow card exactly one year
ago.
EU officials said that dialogue is still proving difficult.
"Lately we have been receiving less evidence of reform from
them and more evidence from third countries and NGOs" of illegal
practices or a lack of enforcement, the official said.
Both sides are to meet again next month in Brussels amid hope progress can be made.
EU to maintain 'yellow card' sanctions on seafood exports
Reviewed by Bizpodia
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