Thailand’s small fishers fight to stay afloat under strict IUU rules

For centuries, Thailand’s coastal communities have built their livelihoods on fishing, with the national economy closely tied to the rhythm of the tides. But in the wake of global demands for sustainable practices, the way of life for small-scale fishers is under threat.

In 2015, the European Union issued Thailand a ‘yellow card’ as a stark warning about the country’s failure to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. To avoid an outright ban on seafood exports to the EU, Thailand introduced some of the world’s strictest fishing laws. These measures have since transformed the industry, but not without controversy.

Though the EU lifted the yellow card in 2019, the reforms put in place remain a double-edged sword for local communities. Despite helping Thailand secure its place in international markets, the reforms have also imposed heavy financial and operational burdens on small-scale fishers.

Thailand’s anti-IUU measures were primarily aimed at large-scale commercial operations, yet their sweeping scope has ensnared many of the nation’s 50,000 small-time operators, including Mode Bunna, a fisherman from Songkhla. “So many people quit fishing. There are only me and my brother still fishing in this area,” Bunna laments.  

For these small operators, minor infractions can result in staggering fines that are unworkable even with a good daily yield for small fishers.

“Thailand has 22 coastal provinces registered under the National Fisheries Association. The Act hugely impacted the livelihoods of thousands of fishing families,” adds Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, President of the National Fisheries Association of Thailand​. 

Thailand’s seafood industry, once robust, has felt the ripple effects of these stringent policies.