Thailand praised for effective measures in fighting illicit fishing

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According to the SSTC director, the kingdom’s efforts to revamp its fishery systems management began in 2015, when the European Union warned the country of IUU activity and threatened to restrict seafood imports if reforms were not made.

Thailand received praise on Monday (Sept 12) for sharing its implementation of effective measures in fighting illicit, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing during Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo 2022 in Bangkok.

Ye Anping, Director of the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said during the gathering that Thailand had made significant strides in agricultural and food system reform over the past several decades.



According to the SSTC director, the kingdom’s efforts to revamp its fishery systems management began in 2015, when the European Union warned the country of IUU activity and threatened to restrict seafood imports if reforms were not made. Several steps have since been implemented to prevent long-term depletion, including port-in/port-out inspections, vessel monitoring, traceability systems and initiatives to limit the amount of seafood harvested.

Ye added that Thailand provided bilateral technical assistance to various countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.



The three-day GSSD Expo 2022, which concludes on September 14, is being co-hosted by the Thai government and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations (ESCAP). The annual event is held by the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) to highlight successful development solutions and projects in cooperation with UN agencies and other partners. (NNT)