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Thai seafood industry likely to thrive again in wake of Tier 2 human trafficking status: businessman

Xinhua, July 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Thailand's seafood export industry will likely prosper again now that the United States has upgraded this country's Trafficking In Persons status from Tier 3 to Tier 2, said a leading businessperson on Monday.

Thailand is believed to make up to 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in shrimps export to the world market throughout this year, accounting for a 10 percent increase from last year and some 700 million U.S. dollars in fish and squid exports throughout this year, marking an 8 per cent rise from last year, according to Pod Aramwatananond, head of the Thai Frozen Foods Association.

He forecast that Thai seafood export industry will likely rebound from sluggish trade and make more profits than in a previous year primarily due to Thailand's upgraded Tier 2 status pertaining to sustained crackdowns on human trafficking, especially in the country's fishing industry.

Migrant and under-aged workers had been found illegally employed aboard Thai fishing trawlers and at food processing plants and manufacturing factories in this country, resulting in last year's Tier 3 status set by the U.S. government.

The Thai Frozen Foods Association head commented that the European Union might as well consider easing restrictions on Thai seafood products bound for the European market following the U.S. upgrading of the Thai TIP status.

The EU had accused Thailand of failing to fight Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing in its territorial waters in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea while the Thai authorities put the blame on many trawler owners for alleged abuses ranging from unlicensed vessels, unlicensed skippers and inoperable communication equipment to illegal migrant crewmen. Endit