The Nation on 29 April 2015, The Fisheries Act 2015 has been approved by His Majesty the King with notice about the new law published in the Royal Gazette, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.
Prawit instructed the Agriculture Ministry to draw up organic laws so they are ready to be implemented in 60 days to solve problems of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as required by the European Union.
Prawit, who is also defence minister, presided over the Cabinet meeting yesterday.
PM's Office spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd quoted Prawit yesterday as saying that any loopholes in the new act needed to combat IUU fishing should be covered by executive decrees, and they could be implemented immediately after the Act takes effect.
Sansern said Prawit instructed the Council of State to formulate an announcement empowering the Royal Thai Navy to work with relevant agencies to act on resolutions of the committee tasked with countering illegal fishing by Thai vessels or companies. The agencies were the Royal Thai Police, the Labour Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the Agriculture Ministry.
Sansern said the Europeans would send a team here next month to look at Thailand's solutions to the IUU problem, but the government would use Article 44 of the interim charter for short-term solutions before the new fisheries law takes effect. This would stipulate that a specific team and mariners would be authorised to investigate vessels before they go out fishing and stop them fishing if their equipment is illegal or if they lack required documents.
The EU issued a warning last week for Thailand to clean up its fishing industry in six months or face a possible ban on seafood exports to 28 European states.
