PHUKET: Fishing operators have been educated about seafood traceability standards so buyers can be assured their hauls are not the result of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
The Department of Fisheries and the Royal Thai Police (RTP) jointly organised a workshop recently which aimed to boost traceability for fishing piers in Phuket.
A total of 206 people from the industry, including owners of fishing piers, fishing associations and fishery officials attended.
Pheralai Noochmon, a marine fishery expert at the department, said the aim was to provide fishing operators and officials with better knowledge about the process of tracing seafood from catch to consumption and export.
After the workshop, those in the industry would be better equipped to comply with the traceability standards for fishing piers as set out in two executive decrees issued in 2015 and 2017 to stamp out IUU activities and improve the fisheries, Ms Pheralai said.
Pol Lt Gen Jaruwat Waisaya, chief of the RTP's Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation, said the agencies aim to hold similar workshops in all regions.
The first session took place in Pattaya of Chon Buri, and Prachuap Khiri Khan and Songkhla will come next, he said, adding that feedback from the operators would also be sought.
Pol Lt Gen Jaruwat said that false or incorrect weighing of seafood which was common at several fishing piers must be cut out to comply with the new traceability laws.
According to the Fisheries Department, there are currently more than 800 fishing piers nationwide. Of the number, more than 200 are along the Andaman coast.
