On 5 – 7 September 2017, the Royal Thai Police held a workshop on case database and capacity building for law enforcement officers in fisheries sector for the 1st batch participants in Songkhla Province. The workshop for the 2nd batch will be held on 19 – 21 September 2017 in Chonburi Province. A total number of 491 people are expected to attend both workshops comprising police officers, prosecutors, and officials from Department of Fisheries, the Marine Department, and Command Center for Combatting Illegal Fishing (CCCIF) from 22 coastal provinces across Thailand.

The objective of the workshop is to launch the online electronic database of cases and lawsuits involving illegal fishing and human trafficking cases in the fisheries sector. The database was developed by the Royal Thai Police in order to ensure synergies of case information, to enable more efficient information sharing as well as easy access to information on the basis of the accurate, up to date, and consistent data shared by relevant agencies. The participants also receive training on litigation techniques and procedures in IUU and fisheries labour trafficking cases to ensure successful convictions. The training also builds the skills to effectively use the database system as a tool to ensure efficiency in litigation and law enforcement.

In addition, on 7 – 8 September 2017, the Attorney General’s Office will organize a training seminar in Bangkok on “prosecution order and case processing for illegal fishing cases” for provincial chief public prosecutors and public prosecutors attached to the Attorney General’s Office who work at the office of the provincial prosecutor located in 22 coastal provinces, as well as 70 prosecutors responsible for illegal fisheries litigation. The trainings underlines the importance and the priority given to the law enforcement to prevent and combat illegal fishing. The aim is to develop the awareness and understanding of the relevant laws and case procedures to ensure successful convictions.

These trainings are manifestations of the commitment and effort of the enforcement agencies to ensure the utmost efficiency of law enforcement to prevent and combat illegal fishing and human trafficking in the fisheries sector, which will, in turn, result in the deterrence of wrongdoings in accordance with the fundamental principle and spirit of the Royal Ordinance of Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015).