No sign of EU withdrawing yellow card on Thai fishing industry

BANGKOK, Jan 22 (TNA) -- The European Union (EU) has shown no sign that it would lift a yellow cad imposed on Thailand for failing to resolve the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing problem, said Deputy Prime Minister/Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon. Gen Prawit’s remarks were made following a four-day inspection by EU delegates, led by Cesar Deben, principal adviser in the EU’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and discussions with him during the stay which ended Thursday. The EU officials only said Thailand had improved illegal fishing problem in the country and asked the government to resolve the problem with maximum effort, said Gen Prawit, adding that he had promised the officials that the Thai government would try to resolve the problem. The EU issued a yellow card to Thailand last April after the country failed to tackle IUU practices and threatened to stop fishery imports from the kingdom. During the discussions, the EU officials had requested the Thai government to also resolve human trafficking problem in other industries as well, said Gen Prawit. The government has set another 2-3 weeks to solve problems through using law enforcement more effectively. Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Defence Ministry said that the EU had advised the Thai government to solve illegal fishing problem through implementing three measures. They include strict enforcement of the fishery law, urgent opposition against every kind of fishing and illegal vessels, and that the Thai government must cooperate with international community and send a signal that it is sincere in resolving the problem during the past two years, the spokesman said. (TNA)