BANGKOK Feb 15 – Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (Department of Fishery) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Department of Fishery) are to ink a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Thai deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said the cabinet on Tuesday approved MoU to tackle IUU fishing.
“The MOU is for the two countries to share experiences, information, and measures pertaining to IUU fishing, especially on encroachment of fishing vessels, catch certificate, and traceability, to prevent IUU fishing products from entering the supply chain.
“Scope of cooperation including exchanging information on transshipment and landing of aquatic lifeforms at port, traceability, and verification of catch certificates; enhancing capacity of anti-IUU fishing activities, such as compliance with port state measures, inspection, control and surveillance; and collaborating and exchanging information on illegal fishing vessels under ASEAN network mechanism,” she said.
She added that the MoU will take effect for five years.
“Signing of the MOU will take place during the 7th Meeting of Vietnam-Thailand joint working group on anti-IUU fishing to be hosted by Vietnam in March this year,” she said.
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, through the Department of Fishery, has earlier signed MoUs and agreements related to counter-IUU fishing with Fiji, South Korea, Myanmar, Japan, and Cambodia.
