Fisheries dept caught out

EDITORIAL

Published: 22 Nov 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Coastal and small-scale fishermen have more than one good reason to vent their frustration at the Fisheries Department for its persistent ignorance of their plight caused mainly by the illegal push-net trawlers which have almost completely depleted the Gulf of Thailand of fish stocks and other marine life with their environmentally destructive fishing equipment.

Their protest at the department yesterday was meant to remind its officials of their two still unanswered demands made two weeks ago.

The first demand is for the department to withdraw from the cabinet its proposal to grant a blanket amnesty to 5,000 illegal push-net trawlers in an attempt to beat the European Union's (EU) boycott threat against marine products from Thailand.

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Asterix
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Discussion 3 : 22 Nov 2012 at 13.203
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No excuse as the Fishery Department may equip all fishing boats with GPS Trackers as it is done for large commercial ships or airplanes around the world and the Fishery Department will be able to monitor on large charts where each fishing boats are... but those powerful predators who are owning the fishing cartels will be against it as it will show that they are fishing in restricted zones or marine national parks. Hopeless situation.
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Asterix
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Discussion 2 : 22 Nov 2012 at 09.522
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The Fishery Department in Thailand has always turned a blind eye on illegal fishing practices by major cartels that are controlled by influential people and corrupt politicians. The money paid in bribes, by these powerful predators to corrupted civil servants, is the main reason for the significant decrease in fish stocks in Thailand and South East Asia and their impunity before the law they have no complexes.
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oldairman
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Discussion 1 : 22 Nov 2012 at 07.011
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The way I read the article is that the coastal fishermen are only little people and therefore in the money stakes they don't matter.
Just because it is their livlihood and they have been complaining for years to the Fisheries Department means nothing.
Don't worry if the Gulf of Thailand is fished out there are other places for trawlers to go but nowhere for the coastal fishermen.
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Fisheries dept caught out | Bangkok Post: opinion