Concerned Thai parties discuss solutions to illegal fishing

BANGKOK, April 27 (TNA) - Representatives of concerned Thai agencies, including the Marine Department and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), have discussed quick solutions to illegal fishing to meet the standards of the European Union (EU). Participants in Monday's meeting also included representatives of immigration police and fishing associations. Nat Chubchai, Deputy Director-General of the Marine Department, told journalists that his department have told operators to have their fishing boats registered. Nat said of 53,000 fishing boats in Thailand, 50,900 have been already registered and his department are demanding the registrations of the rest 2,100 boats. Besides, his department also requires 2,077 local fishing boats of 60 gross tons and over to be equipped with a vessel monitoring system within July 26, 2015 or losing their boat licences, while about 5,300 fishing boats of 30 gross tons and over are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Fisheries. According to the senior official, the Marine Department has already terminated its issuance of seaman books for alien workers following the problem of their forgery. So far this year, the senior official noted, over 8,000 workers have received their permits to work on 703 fishing boats and Monday's meeting agreed that the permission authority rests with the Marine Department. (TNA)