Amended decree 'won't hurt seafood exports to US'
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Amended decree 'won't hurt seafood exports to US'

Easing of fishing rule causes concern

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Amended decree 'won't hurt seafood exports to US'

The Department of Fisheries has moved to allay fears that the recent amendment to Section 66 of a Fisheries Executive Decree may disrupt seafood exports to the United States amid concerns Washington could ban Thai seafood caught using fishing gear that is dangerous to some marine mammals.

Department of Fisheries (DoF) director-general Bancha Sookkaew was commenting following a notification from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which reported that certain fishing gear used in the kingdom exceeds the acceptable impact limits on such animals.

He said the US enforces the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972, the expiration date of which has been extended from Jan 1, 2023, to Jan 1, 2026. It requires over 130 trading partners, including Thailand, to verify that their seafood exports do not result from fishing practices that harm marine mammals.

These trading partners are required to submit compliance data to the NOAA, with the Department of Fisheries having submitted its latest data on Nov 29, 2021, via the International Affairs Information Capture and Reporting System (IAICRS).

The data showed that 27 types of seafood caught in Thailand were so using 15 types of fishing gear that could exceed the minimum impact threshold.

The NOAA issued the results of a preliminary review of the data on Jan 16, saying fishing operations using gillnets in the Gulf of Thailand exceed the impact threshold for Irrawaddy dolphins. Thailand has been asked to submit additional data by April 1.

In response, the DoF has been working with various agencies to compile the information. The aim is to prevent any negative impact on seafood exports, such as short mackerel, Indian mackerel, Spanish mackerel, pomfret and sardines, which account for about 930 tonnes of exports annually, valued at some 250 million baht.

Regarding concerns that changing Section 66 of the decree may weaken protections for marine mammals, the DoF insists the amendment, now being deliberated in the Senate, in fact seeks to protect them.

It allows fishermen who release these mammals after accidentally catching them to be exempt from criminal charges, while intentional hunting, harming or capturing remains illegal.

The DoF had also hjelped develop the 2023-2027 National Action Plan for the Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals with the aim of integrating efforts from all sectors to protect these animals and reinforce confidence among trading partners in the country's commitment to their conservation, it said.

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