Section 88 and section 89 of the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 shall be repealed and replaced by the following: “Section 88. The owner of a transhipment vessel having the size specified by notification of the Minister shall undertake the following:Section 88 (5) when undertaking a transhipment of aquatic animals outside Thai waters, an observer shall be present on the transhipment vessel in accordance with the rules of the coastal state or international organization having a jurisdiction over the area which such transhipment vessel enters to fish or other rules prescribed by the Director-General

A holder of a license to engage in fishing outside Thai waters must have an observer stationed on board the fishing vessel in accordance with the rules prescribed by the coastal state or the international organisation having jurisdiction over the intended area of fishing operation, or as prescribed by the Director-General. An observer shall not be a person already assigned to do any other duty on board a fishing vessel, and shall have other qualifications as prescribed by the Director-General. The rules and procedures of training, as well as the registration of observers shall be as prescribed by the Director-General.

An observer shall perform the following duties: (1) observe the catching of aquatic animals, the selecting and processing thereof, as well as other activities concerned therewith, and record data found in the observations; (2) compile and record biological information and collect specimen of the aquatic animals caught and any other data useful for the purposes of traceability; (3) prepare a summary report of actions taken pursuant to (1) and (2), to be submitted to the competent official upon berthing of the fishing vessel at a fishing port or when the observer returns to the coast in accordance with the procedures and timeframe prescribed by the Director-General.

Any observer failing to perform their duties pursuant to section 51 or committing malfeasance in order to cause damage to any other person shall be subject to a term of imprisonment of between one month and two years or to a fine of between one hundred thousand baht and two millionbaht, or both.