In response to news report on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense H.E. General Prawit Wongsuwan’s interview to the press regarding the IUU fishing that “Thailand will not be given a red card, and will definitely get the green”,

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to clarify that today H.E. General Prawit Wongsuwan indeed answered the press’ questions informally but he merely stated that during the latest round of dialogue with the EU (17-19 May 2016), the EU did not reach any decision on the red card or yellow card. Thus, Thailand still has time to work on this matter before such a decision will be made, and Thailand reaffirms its commitment to continue working to tackle the problem.

The Royal Thai Government attaches great importance to combatting IUU fishing and has been taking serious and strenuous measures on this matter. Most recently, Thailand has acceded to the FAO Port State Measure Agreement (PSMA), which is an international agreement focused on eradicating IUU fishing. Previous dialogues between Thailand and the EU based on cordial friendship that respect each other's sovereignty. The EU has never prescribed Thailand on what measures to implement, but closely exchanged knowledge and experience to deal with the problem. Some advice given by the EU have also been based on previous and similar experiences from the EU’s members. Nevertheless, it is the decision of the Thai agencies to adapt the EU's recommendations to suit Thailand's context and the situation on the ground.