Thailand has become one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to publish a full list of all its registered and licensed fishing vessels, alongside a watchlist containing vessels prohibited from fishing.
A complete list of all 10,742 vessels eligible to fish in Thai waters is now publicly available on Thailand’s Marine Department website. This list contains vital information including each vessel’s registration number, owner’s name, and port of registration, helping to hold the industry to account and eradicate illegal fishing and human rights abuse in the industry through transparency.
Steve Trent, executive director of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), said: “Thailand has shown leadership by making this vital data publicly available online, in a move that will not only help Thailand deal with illegal fishing and human rights abuse in its fishing industry but will also lead by example for other countries in the region.
“Transparency does not require new, sophisticated technology, or unrealistic expense. These measures are simple, cheap and can be put in place today by all nations.”
Setting an example
The publication of the list comes as Thailand is preparing to become chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2019, providing a unique opportunity to encourage other neighbouring countries to follow suit.
Until recently, Thailand’s fishing fleet has been an unknown quantity, with vessel figures varying hugely depending on the data source, said EJF. For instance, while government statistics for 2015 put the number of registered vessels at 18,089, other government sources declared the figure closer to 57,000.
