Revisiting the draft of Thailand’s Fisheries Act: A critical assessment of legislative developments and the rollbacks

This analysis provides a critical assessment of recent legislative developments in the drafting of Thailand’s new Fisheries Act, focusing on the legislative process, influential stakeholders, and the implications of the proposed rollbacks contained therein. As one of the world's major seafood exporters, Thailand has faced intense international scrutiny to regulate its fishing industry in line with sustainable, legal, and ethical standards as well as transparent practices for both environmental and labour aspects. The current drafting process has exposed significant regulatory issues with the proposed rollbacks, primarily driven by elements of the commercial fishing sector seeking widespread deregulation of the industry.

The proposed rollbacks have drawn criticism from multiple stakeholders including Thai civil society, academia, government agencies and the international community. They have also sparked significant concern amongst global seafood buyers, government bodies and institutions. Without robust safeguards, the rollbacks risk undoing years of progressive fisheries reform progress whilst also once again tarnishing Thailand’s global seafood market credentials. Key rollbacks contained within the current Fisheries Act draft include:

●      Remove labour safeguards for seafood processing sector (Art. 10/1, 11, 11/1)

●      Permission of purse seines with small mesh sizes lured by light generators at night (Art. 69)

●      Re-authorise at-sea trans-shipment (Art. 85)