Police Colonel Tawee Visits Songkhla to Address Fishery Crisis
Police Colonel Tawee Inspected Songkhla on September 5, 2026, Addressing the Near-Collapse of Fisheries and 80% Foreign Fish Reliance
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Police Colonel Tawee inspected Songkhla to address local fishery issues
- Fishery associations report an 80% reliance on imported foreign fish
- Urged the government to stop viewing the fishing sector as the villain
- Proposed elevating fishery reform to a national agenda
On September 5, 2026, Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, list-MP, leader of the Prachachat Party, and advisor to the House Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice, and Human Rights, traveled to Songkhla province at Casa Der See Boutique House to meet with local fishermen and business operators who are facing severe economic hardships threatening the survival of the fishing industry.
During the discussion, representatives from fishery associations and seafood processing operators highlighted structural crises spanning legal obstacles, labor shortages, and soaring fuel costs. These cumulative pressures have severely crippled domestic competitiveness, forcing local processing plants to rely on imported foreign fish ingredients for up to 80 percent of their operations.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Ms. Chopaka Sae-heng, Vice President of the Songkhla Fishery Association, and Mr. Muhammad Bensoh, executive director of A&N Power Development Co., Ltd. and a grandson of the Chularachamongkhon, provided detailed insights into the challenges. They called on the government to shift its mindset, urging authorities to stop treating the fishing industry as an environmental culprit and instead actively promote value-added processing for global export markets.
The current crisis in Thailand's fishing sector extends far beyond rising operational costs, intersecting heavily with international regulations and sustainable fishing standards that demand careful balancing between conservation and industry survival. An 80% dependence on imported raw materials clearly signals that the domestic supply chain is losing its competitive edge, potentially threatening Thailand's lucrative seafood export industry if structural government backing is not promptly delivered.
In response, Police Colonel Tawee acknowledged the grievances and emphasized that the plight of fishermen requires an immediate overhaul of bureaucratic thinking and state management policies, proposing that fishery reform be elevated to a national agenda to secure sustainable solutions.
Source: Khaosod Politics
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