Thailand’s fishery industry have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to encourage responsible fishing and promote sustainable fisheries and food security
Pornsil Patchrintanakul, president of Thai Feed Mill Association, said that the MoU was a good step towards increased sustainability in the country’s fishery industry.
Not only fishermen, but also all other stakeholders in the sector will help develop the ecological system, which has been gradually damaged in line with the rising world population and expanding economic growth, he added.
Patchrintanakul said, “Greater concern about the environment would require the adoption of high technology and entail additional costs, resulting in higher food prices — but not to the extent that consumers would be significantly affected.”
The private-sector bodies that signed the MoU are National Fisheries Association of Thailand, Overseas Fisheries Association, Thai Fishmeal Producers Association, Thai Feed Mill Association, Thai Frozen Foods Association, Thai Shrimp Association, Thai Tuna Industry Association and Thai Food Processors’ Association.
Poj Aramwattananont, president of Thai Frozen Foods Association, said the MoU marked a major advance for developing the fishery industry’s supply chain.
Under the MoU, all stakeholders will focus on fishery products that must be the result of appropriate trawling equipment and methods that do not harm the environment, use legal labour, and attain the required food safety standards.
Pornsil said that the MoU would enable the country to maximise benefit from the use of marine resources, encourage the production of fishery products to meet responsible-fishing requirements and allow the industry to step further along the path of security and sustainability.
