Thailand resurrecting detrimental fishing practices, assert claim advocates

In the heart of Bangkok, a group of protesters gathered outside parliament, led by fisherman Jirasak "Boot" Meerit from Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Their cause? A proposed amendment to Thailand's Fisheries Act, which they fear could undo the gains made in recent years.

The current Fisheries Act, passed in 2015, aimed to address issues such as labor abuse and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) catch. Since its implementation, fish populations in areas including the Andaman Sea have begun to rebound. However, the labor issue has come to the fore again with the government's attempts to boost the industry.

Activists like Meerit and Thomson from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) believe the new act could lead to overexploitation of marine animals. One of the most contentious issues is the proposed changes to Article 69, which could potentially allow hundreds, if not thousands, of fishing vessels to tranship catch while at sea. This practice, according to Thomson, can be opaque and can be used to transfer illegal catch.

The EJF identified 15 concerning amendments in the proposed changes to Thailand's Fisheries Act, 13 of which have been amended. However, activists and fishers remain wary, with concerns that the new act will turn the clock back, bringing back the problems of overexploitation of marine animals.

The proposed amendments would also permit night fishing at more than 12 nautical miles from the shore, using nets with a mesh finer than 2.5 centimeters. Activists believe this could cost Thailand billions of dollars in species lost to fine-mesh nets. They argue that night operations are a step in the wrong direction, as they could inadvertently catch juvenile species, damaging the food chain.

Woraphop Viriyaroj, a member of parliament and deputy chair of the Senate committee, is considering these amendments. Viriyaroj insists that Thailand's IUU measures are up to international standards and concerns are largely unfounded. She also insists that the Labour Protection in Fisheries Act, passed in 2019, is sufficient, but acknowledges that the punishments for violators are tougher in the 2015 act.

However, the EJF claims that the new legislation could result in potentially hundreds, if not thousands, of fishing vessels being able to tranship catch while they're at sea. This, they argue, could further exacerbate issues of labor rights and tariffs on low-value catch, also known as "trash fish".

The Department of Fisheries states that the industry supported more than two million jobs in 2,500 fishing villages as of 2018. Despite this, the Federation of Thai Fisher Folk Association has been holding regular events in the capital to protest the proposals.

As the debate continues, it remains unclear which political parties in Thailand support the proposed changes to the fishery laws. One thing is certain, though—the future of Thailand's fisheries is at stake.