The European Commission officially announced today it is putting Thailand on formal notice, accusing the country of not doing enough to control Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing and threatening to issue seafood import trade sanctions if the Thai government does not take action.
In the same announcement, the commission announced it was now satisfied with efforts made by the Philippines and Korea to control IUU fishing.
The commission has been communicating with Thai authorities since 2011, continually denouncing that country’s lack of sanctioning, monitoring or control of the problem.
“Our EU rigorous policy on a harmful practice such as illegal fishing, together with our genuine capacity to act, is paying off,” said Karmenu Vella(pictured), European commissioner for the environment, maritime affairs and fisheries. “I urge Thailand to join the European Union in the fight for sustainable fisheries Failure to take strong action against illegal fishing will carry consequences.”
Those consequences, according to the announcement, will include banning fisheries imports from Thailand. The commission noted it has issued similar bans before against Belize, Guinea, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.
In addition, the commission announced the nations of Korea and the Philippines have taken actions including introducing reforms to their legal systems that are now in line with international law. As a result, the commission announced it was withdrawing warnings it had issued to both nations on IUU fishing management in the past. The commission had cited Korea in the past as being a particularly serious offender when it comes to IUU management.
"By using our market weight the EU is getting important players on board,” Vella said. “Both Korea and the Philippines have taken responsible action, amended their legal systems and switched to a proactive approach against illegal fishing."
