Who is the real ‘devil’ in Thailand’s fishing industry?

Thais and foreigners across the country have been drawn to the “Evil Lawyer” series on Netflix, which has included scenes depicting unspeakable atrocities committed aboard a Thai fishing vessel. But the Migrant Working Group maintains that real life is more dramatic than this TV series. They will hold a press conference to discuss the serious problems plaguing the Thai fishing industry and explore critical issues of culpability and accountability.

They aim to debate whether the “devil” is individual fishing boat captains, owners or companies, or if there is something more profoundly and structurally wrong in the way the industry is organized and operates.

Speakers will cover the gamut of issues related to labor rights, migrant regulation, the application of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, international trade requirements, human trafficking and forced labor, and the implementation of the ILO’s Work in Fishing Convention (No. 188), which Thailand ratified in 2019. That ratification contributed to Thailand avoiding a “yellow card” from the European Union, but with recent changes in laws and regulations that weaken protections for fishers, will Thailand slide back to a “red card” in the future?  

A panel of expert speakers will include:

Sahasawat Khumkong, People’s Party MP;

A representative of the International Labour Organization (ILO);

A representative of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF);

A representative of the Stella Maris Seafarers’ Welfare Center, Songkhla;  

A representative of the Thai Labor Solidarity Confederation (TLSC);

A representative of the Migrant Working Group (MWG);