On 21 April 2017, Mr. Sompong Nimchuar, Minister (Agricultural Affairs) / Permanent Representative to FAO, and Mr. Songchai Chaipatiyut, Minister Counsellor, Royal Thai Embassy in Rome, met with Mr. Antonio Tavares, Director of FAO Legal Office, to present the Instrument of Accession of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA). The SIOFA is an agreement establishing a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) which manages fishing of non-tuna species and to combat illegal fishing in the southern Indian Ocean. The accession will come into effect in 30 days.

 

The accession to the SIOFA will allow Thailand to legally fish in the Southern Indian Ocean in accordance with control and conservation measures under SIOFA. It will also enhance Thailand’s role and participation in the establishment of measures and rules governing the management and conservation to achieve the balance and sustainability of fisheries resources in the Indian Ocean which, in turn, would benefit the international community as a whole.

 

In 1996, Thailand joined the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), a regional fisheries management organization for the fishing of tuna and tuna-liked species. Thailand’s memberships of both IOTC and SIOFA will contribute to a better control of Thai overseas fishing fleets in the Indian Ocean in accordance with international regulations and standards. Furthermore, Thailand has also strengthened the fisheries monitoring, control, and surveillance system in order to ensure a more stringent and effective control over its overseas fishing fleets. This underlines Thailand’s strenous efforts to bring the Thai overseas fishing industry up to the international standards and to rid the Thai fishing industry of IUU fishing.