Fishing groups to hold mass rally in Thai capital

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - More than 10,000 fishermen in Thailand will hold a mass rally to protest harsh regulations on the fishing industry, according to a local news agency.

The demonstrators from various groups will rally outside the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry in Thai capital, Bangkok, until Jan. 15, asking the government to relax the regulations.

"We've already notified Nang Loeng police station as required by the law on public gatherings. And more than 10,000 people from 22 provinces will turn up," said Mongkon Sukcharoenkhana, president of the National Fisheries Association of Thailand (NFAT), the Bangkok Post reported.

"If the government refuses to respond to our calls, it should buy all our fishing equipment and trawlers, as we can no longer go out to work," he said.

On Wednesday, Alongkorn Ponlaboot, an adviser to Thai Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Chalermchai Sri-on, called on the groups to cancel the rally.

Thai government’s regulations aim at tackling with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing but further regulations introduced over the past four to five years have resulted in harder conditions in the industry.

Fishermen claim that the regulations forced many to quit the fishing, saying they can no longer cope with increasing debts caused by the harsh regulations.