June 13, 2019 — The National Fisheries Association of Thailand is threatening protests against the government in the wake of measures by the government to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
According to the Bangkok Post, the association members are threatening to camp out in front of Thailand’s Agriculture Ministry due to rules implemented in the last five years. Those rules partially stemmed from the issuance of a yellow card by the European Union – which was lifted in January – that the country received in 2015 in response to the lack of effective sanctions to prevent IUU fishing.
Those new rules have caused a shortage of workers, forcing operators out of business, association president Mongkol Sukcharoenkhana told the Bangkok Post.
“If these laws aren’t changed, the fishermen will head to Bangkok and camp out in front of the Agriculture Ministry,” he told the paper.