Thai fishing boats lack 80,000 crewmen

Thailand is currently lacking as many as 80,000 people to work legally aboard seagoing trawlers, said Labor Minister Gen Surasak Kanchanarat on Tuesday.

An estimated 30,000 Thai fishing boats which have already been registered with the authorities are currently in need of crewmen, especially working migrants, from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam, Gen Surasak said.

He declined to comments on possibilities that the European Union might stop buying seafoods and marine products from Thailand in the face of alleged failures to combat illegal fishing in the Thai and international waters.

Given mounting concerns over reports of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing involving the illegal employment of crewmen aboard Thai trawlers, the EU might probably send an official warning to the Thai authorities to effectually comply to its anti- illegal fishing requirements within six months or else the European bloc might eventually embargo Thai seafoods and marine products, according to the labor minister.

He said the authorities will quickly help fishing boat operators recruit working migrants as legalized crewmen and see to it that such anti-illegal fishing campaigns will be observed.

Under no circumstances will any adolescents aged under 18 years be hired by Thai fishing boats, he assured.

The EU had pressed Thailand not only to fight illegal fishing but to stop child labor aboard fishing boats. Endi