Vietnam and Thailand plan to step up collaboration efforts in the supervision and management of fishing activities in the sea area between the two countries.
It was the conclusion of a meeting between representatives from the southern province of Kien Giang and Tanee Sangrat, Deputy General Director of the Department of East Asian Affairs under the Thai Foreign Ministry.
Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mai Anh Nhin said in recent years the provincial authority has taken measures to prevent fishermen from both sides from illegal fishing operations along maritime border between Vietnam and Thailand.
Nhin urged Thai law enforcement forces to notify its Vietnamese counterpart immediately and strictly follow regulations and protocols set out by the two countries in cases of illegal fishing operations.
Tanee Sangrat acknowledged that Thai law enforcement forces had failed to handle the incident in accordance with the Thai Government’s no-violence policy and expressed his condolences to the shooting incident’s victims and their families.
The two sides agreed that the two countries must work together to enforce a strict non-violence policy in dealing with fishermen.
They also called for the establishment of a hotline in order to assist fishermen in cases of emergency in the maritime border between Vietnam and Thailand.
On September 22, the southernmost province of Ca Mau seized three Thai vessels that were illegally fishing in Vietnamese waters. The vessels and all Thai fishermen on board were released on September 24 after being given warnings.
