Delegates at the event (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang onAugust 29 chaired a teleconference with 28 coastal localities on solutions tofight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and make preparationsfor the EC’s fourth inspection in October.
He asked the coastal localities to resolutely put an end toillegal fishing by vessels in foreign waters, which serves as a decisive factorfor Vietnam to have the yellow card imposed by the European Commission (EC) on IUUfishing lifted.
“Local authorities must uphold the highest responsibilities and takedrastic solutions to put an end to IUU fishing,” he said, adding they must makeinspections, manage the implementation of regulations against IUU fishing andabsolutely not allow fishing vessels to make violations out of the territory.
He asked the coastal localities to resolutely put an end toillegal fishing by vessels in foreign waters, which serves as a decisive factorfor Vietnam to have the yellow card imposed by the European Commission (EC) on IUUfishing lifted.
“Local authorities must uphold the highest responsibilities and takedrastic solutions to put an end to IUU fishing,” he said, adding they must makeinspections, manage the implementation of regulations against IUU fishing andabsolutely not allow fishing vessels to make violations out of the territory.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang (Photo: VNA)According to the National Steering Committee on IUU fishing prevention,following the EC's recommendation on reducing the number of fishing vessels andfishing intensity, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development hasadvised the Prime Minister to direct localities to review the entire number offishing vessels, update fishing vessel data into the national fishery databaseVNFishbase.
31 provinces and cities with 71,658 ships have so far updated their database onthe VNFishbase.
As of August 29, 2023, the whole country has 86,820 fishing vessels with alength of 6m or more. Among those, there are 30,091 fishing vessels with alength of 15m or more.
About 97.8% of fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more have been equippedwith a vessel monitoring system (VMS).
The vessels that have not installed VMS have been on thesupervision list of local authorities. Most of them are fishing vessels lyingon the shore without operation, or awaiting deregistration.
Since the fourth quarter of 2022, law enforcement forces have detected 11 casesand seized 13 fishing boats, and 115 VMS devices fishing illegally in the wrongarea or in foreign waters.
Competent agencies have imposed sanctions on more than 4,000 cases ofviolations of regulations against IUU fishing since the end of last year.
Some provinces and cities such as Quang Ninh, Quang Binh, Phu Yen, Kien Giangand Thanh Hóa have a low rate of monitoring fishery production catch, less than20%.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoanproposed the Government set up an interdisciplinary special working group tohandle violations such as ship disconnection, and shutdown.
The working group will also be responsible for tracing fisheryproducts’ origin and strengthening management from within the region tooffshore./.
VNA
