InfoQuest, (June 13, 2019) -- The Fisheries Act of 2015 and related amendments are an important reform measure implemented by the Department of Fisheries, which will lead to sustainable fishing in Thailand, said Mr. Adisorn Promthep, director-general of the Department of Fisheries. He said all procedures must be transparent, fair, and traceable. The fishery sector has never experienced some of theses requirements. For example, operators of commercial fishing vessels and small-scale fishing boats have to provide documents so buyers can trace the origin of seafood products. The monitoring extends from fishing to shipment in order to assure the end buyers that the products are from a reliable source.
To mitigate the burden on enterprises and improve traceability efficiency, the Department of Fisheries has set up an electronic system (FSW) to support and facilitate the export of fishery products. The exporters only need to provide Marine Catch Purchasing Document (MCPD) or certificate number for catching aquatic animals that are for selling and production purpose. Such certificate number can help consumers know which boat caught the fish, where and when it was caught, as well as the number and names of the fishing workers. This will convince consumers that the fishery products they purchase are not from illegal fishing or related to human trafficking. These efforts will contribute to the sustainable development of Thai fishery, enhance the advantages of Thai fishery products, and eventually boost the confidence of buyers to continue to buy Thai products.
"Within the framework of free trade, countries are making joint efforts to create conditions that facilitate imports, especially the neighboring countries involved in frequent two-way trade with Thailand," said the Director-general.
Mr. Adisorn also noted that the department has always been monitoring the import, finding that some marine fishery products from neighboring countries for domestic consumption in Thailand are still related with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. According to the data from the checkpoint for fishery products, Thailand only imports 9,000 tons of seafood products each year. The figure is only equivalent to 0.6 percent of total seafood production in Thailand.
In line with measures for domestic fisheries products, the department has taken strict measures to control imports. It stipulated that importers shall provide document from the government of the exporting country to prove that the imported fishery product did not originate from illegal fishing. The document shall include such information as the name of the fishing vessel, license number, date of capture and weight of all imported products.
In addition, the department has implemented sanitary measures. The quality of imported fishery products will be monitored through random check conducted by the checkpoint for fishery products. The Department of Fisheries will pay close attention to the above issues and introduce measures to further tackle them.
Source: InfoQuest, by Nisarat Wichiensri / Rachada, translated by Xinhua Silk Road
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