The European Commission announced on Tuesday 8 January that it is withdrawing the yellow card given to Thailand in 2015, thanks to the country's progress in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Commission "acknowledges that Thailand has successfully addressed the shortcomings in its fisheries legal and administrative systems".
The EU indicated in April 2015 that it considered that Thailand was not fighting IUU fishing sufficiently at the time. The decision cancels the first step in a process that could have led to a total ban (red card) on imports of Thai fishery products into the European Union.
Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella said that after “hard work”, Thailand has aligned its legal and administrative systems with international obligations to combat IUU fishing. “We have worked together to achieve fisheries governance reform in Thailand”, he added.
Chatchai Sarikulya, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, recalled the measures taken by the government, including a new traceability system for the entire fisheries supply chain.
Since the yellow card was issued, the Commission and Thailand have been engaged in a process of cooperation and constructive dialogue. Thailand has amended its fisheries legal framework to comply with international law. It has more strictly respected its obligations as a flag State, port State, coastal State and marketing State; it has put in place a dissuasive regime of sanctions. In addition, it has strengthened the control mechanisms of the national fishing fleet. Thailand has strengthened controls on landings of foreign fishing vessels in Thai ports.
The Commission acknowledges Thailand's efforts to combat human trafficking and improve working conditions in the fisheries sector. Thailand has announced the ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 188 (C188) on Work in Fishing and is the first Asian country to do so. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)