The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is calling on the Royal Thai Government to assure that an investigation currently underway into the escape of pirate fishing vessel Taishan from Phuket port is thorough and rigorous.
Anyone who is found to have aided in the vessel’s escape should be swiftly prosecuted, EJF added, and an action plan should be put in place to prevent situations such as this in the future. The Taishan vessel, formerly known as Kunlun, was confirmed to have fled the port in which it was being held on 8 September. The vessel had attempted to offload nearly 200 tons of Patagonian toothfish as grouper in March of 2015, and had been held by Thai authorities in port since, recalled EJF.
“The escape of the Taishan should have never been allowed to happen. It is inexcusable that a vessel, which has been seized and held in port, could depart unnoticed. It must be quickly and decisively addressed by a thorough and transparent investigation and effective action in the courts. Knowing the exact conditions that allowed this escape to take place and the identity of those responsible is crucial in helping Thailand clean up its waters and drive illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) operators out,” said Steve Trent, Executive Director of EJF.
“It is important that this incident does not undermine the structural changes and reforms that local authorities and enforcement agencies are undertaking, and that both their design and implementation continue to be driven by the dual goals of transparency and sustainability,” Trent added.
More information about the Taishan and its escape can be found here: http://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/toothfish-poaching-vessel-listed-by-interpol-escapes-thailand
