Combating pirate fishing and slavery

The event drew on the EU's achievements in the fight against pirate fishing since the EU IUU Regulation came into force in 2010 and considered the EU's role in global initiatives to address pirate fishing and its devastating effects on the environment and human rights.

Six expert speakers gave presentations covering the EU IUU Regulation with respect to IUU in Thailand; the EU IUU Regulation on the global stage including the significance of the carding process and success stories so far; Thailand's efforts to combat IUU among vessels operating within and beyond Thailand's waters; the EU's global role in combating labour trafficking; Thailand's efforts to date to combat trafficked, forced and bonded labour in the Thai fishing industry; the need for overfishing, pirate fishing and human trafficking to be tackled as interconnected problems and the need for a multi-stakeholder, multi-track approach.

The event was attended by representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament, Mission of Thailand to the European Union, Thai Department of Fisheries, Royal Thai Embassy, Embassy of the Philippines, Charoen Pokphand Foods UK, national governments, civil society and the private sector.

EJF reiterated the detailed recommendations made in its latest report, of specific measures needed from the Royal Thai Government, Thai Navy, producers, retailers and buyers of Thai seafood. These recommendations are premised on the urgent need to address overfishing, illegal fishing and modern slavery as fundamentally interconnected issues.

Steve Trent, executive director of EJF, said, “It is vital to address overfishing, pirate fishing and slavery in Thailand as one fundamentally interconnected problem. The starting point must be an honest appraisal of the scale and extent of the social and environmental problems facing the Thai seafood industry. All stakeholders must work together to ensure the protection of the oceans and marine life, and eradication of slavery at sea.”