Command centre on IUU Fishing solutions starts operation

BANGKOK, May 1 (TNA) - An ad-hoc command centre, tasked with finding solutions to the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in Thailand and directly supervised by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha, who is also Chief of the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), starts its operation on May 1. The ad-hoc command centre, headed by Thai Navy Chief Admiral Kraisorn Chansuvanich and ordered its setting up by NCPO earlier this week based on Section 44 of Thailand's Provisional Constitution, is responsible for working out solutions to IUU Fishing, negotiating with the European Union (EU) and coordinating with all parties concerned to find solutions, including proposing a revision or promulgation of fisheryand relevant laws. The NCPO order followed EU's recent issuance of a "yellow card" against Thailand for IUU Fishing, demanding that the Thai Kingdom address the problem within six months, or face an import ban on Thai fishery products to the 28-member European trade bloc. The NCOP order requires the ad-hoc command centre to submit continual reports on progress of IUU Fishing solutions to the prime minister and NCPO chief until EU revokes its yellow card against Thailand. The NCPO order also requires business operators in the Thai fishery sector to issue seamen's books, install a navigation monitoring system on their fishing boats and not to fish on territorial waters of foreign countries or high seas. (TNA)