On 28 February 2018, the Criminal Court sentenced the owner of the fishing vessel “Ceribu” to pay a fine of over 88 million Baht (approximately 2.3 million Euros) on charges of taking a fishing vessel or a reefer to fish in the waters of a foreign state and the high seas without permission, and failing to bring the vessel back to port within the deadline set in the Department of Fisheries’ Notification.

          The fishing vessel “Ceribu” weighing 347 gross tons fished outside the Thai waters between 19 June 2015 to 16 February 2016, and did not comply with the Department of Fisheries’ Notification issued on 25 December 2015 ordering all owners of fishing vessels, weighing 30 gross tons and above and operating outside the Thai waters, to bring the vessels back to port within 30 days from the issuance date of the Notification. Thai authorities, as the result, prosecuted the owner of the vessel.

          Previously, the Criminal Court has issued sentences of hefty fines to four fishing vessels on charges of illegal overseas fishing totaling over 132 million Baht (approximately 3.5 million Euros).