BANGKOK: Several thousand Thai fishermen protested outside the agriculture ministry on Tuesday over strict regulations aimed at combating illegal and unregulated fishing which they say are driving them out of business.
The protesters, drawn from 22 provinces around the country, turned the area in front of the ministry into a campsite with makeshift shelters under colourful umbrellas and took turns to air their grievances over megaphones. Alongkorn Ponlaboot, an adviser to the agriculture minister, told the gathering on Tuesday that a loan of 10.3 billion baht for the fishermen and a scheme worth 7.1 billion baht to buy out 2,700 ships were awaiting cabinet approval.