How effective the LOSC as “Constitution for the Oceans” deal with maritime issues in Thailand in the case of IUU fishing and human trafficking
Keywords:
Law of the Sea Convention, IUU fishing, human trafficking, Constitution for the OceansAbstract
After the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC) came into force in 1994, it has become the primary international maritime law which has been widely utilized by many countries all over the world. Likewise, Thailand has been one country utilizing the LOSC to adopt and revise national laws, particularly fisheries laws and policies. Due to these revised laws, Thailand could deal with IUU fishing more systematically and effectively in the country. By contrast, it seems that the LOSC still has loopholes and insufficient consideration in some areas, such as human trafficking, which has been aroused in Thailand for a long time. Nevertheless, it can be argued that the LOSC as “the constitution for the oceans” has effectively contributed on the improvement of conservation and administration of living resources. One tangible evidence is that Thailand could successfully lift the EU’s yellow card last year.
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