The Royal Thai Government fully recognizes the importance of combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. On 1 May 2015, it established the Command Center for Combating Illegal Fishing (CCCIF) to comprehensively administer the fight against IUU fishing. It has been successful in expediting the improvement of legal framework, the launch of monitoring and surveillance system, the introduction of a tracing system throughout the production line and the improvement of the working condition in the fisheries sector in accordance to international standard of the ILO.

                        Significant progress in 2015 includes the following:

                        1. Improvement of Legal Framework

                                    - The government revised the Fisheries Act B.E. 2558 to include measures to monitor fishing vessels more efficiently and to have a fisheries management plan. The Act entered into force on 27 June 2015.

                                    - Eventually, the government would like to enforce a more comprehensive law that encompasses more measures to combat IUU fishing such as the ability to inspect Thai fishing vessels in both Thai and foreign waters and to include a management scheme for sustainable fisheries. Therefore, the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 was approved and entered into force on 14 November 2015, which means that the Fisheries Act B.E. 2558 is repealed. In December 2015, the National Legislative Assembly approved the said Royal Ordinance, which entitled it to have the same status as an Act. Nevertheless, it remains to be called the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558.

                                    - The Department of Fisheries in cooperation with the Council of State and CCCIF has developed 52 implementing rules as subordinate law of the Royal Ordinance. It is expected that all urgent implementing rules will be approved and enter into force by January 2016.

                        2. Law Enforcement and Prosecution

                                    - As of January 2016, more than 80% of the existing 145 seafood processing factories have been inspected. Sixty-three of these were found using illegal labour. A total of 28,343 labour were also inspected. The Director-General of Fisheries suspended the operation of 5 factories for 10 days and terminated the operation of 1 factory.

                                    - An inspection of fishing vessels outside Thai waters from 1 October to 30 December 2015 found 6 cases involving human trafficking. The Office of the Attorney General has prosecuted the case to the court.

       3. Vessel Monitoring and Tracing Systems

                                    - The authorities have introduced Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) to monitor fishing vessels that are larger than 60 gross tons. As of January 2016, 5,233 fishing vessels have installed VMS equipments.

- The Department of Fisheries and the Customs Department have

co-developed procedures to trace the origin of fisheries product. For instance, they have created a mobile application “Anti IUU Fishing” to enable officials to retrieve data about the vessels, permits and other relevant information. Furthermore, Thailand has cooperation with other countries such as Indonesia, Philippines and Pacific Island nations to exchange information and prevent transshipment of illegal catch

                                    - The authorities have consolidated the vessel registration system and the fisheries permit into one e-License database

                        4. Labours in the Fisheries Sector

                                    - Thailand permitted illegal labours from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia working in the fisheries sector to register themselves with the Ministry of Labour so that their status be legalised and can be protected by the law. As of 4 January 2016, 12,920 illegal labours from the sea fishing sector and 23,123 labours from the fisheries processing sector have registered

(As of January 2016)