Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Kien Giang (VNA) - The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has made various efforts to crack down illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing asinstructed by the European Commission (EC).
The provincialDepartment of Information and Communications has coordinated with distric administrations and local media to increase publicawareness of the issue and campaign fishermen to comply with the 2017 Law onFisheries and regulations against IUU fishing.
Localauthorities have provided education and training on IUU fishing preventionrules for fishermen, ship owners, captains and crews at fishing ports andvillages.
The provincialDepartment of Agriculture partnered with local police and military forces topatrol and inspect fishing vessels at sea and, at the same time, all fishing boats have beenrequired to install cruise tracking devices and record their activities in their daily fishing journals. Those who did not install, turn on tracking devices or keep fishingjournals have been strictlypunished.
The provincial Border Guards Command has directed itsposts to strictly control fishing boats and fishermen that cruise in and out fishing ports and stopthem from going out to sea if they lack necessary procedures, papers andequipment.
A list of fishing ships and ship owners that violateregulations related to the EC’s warning on IUU fishing is publicised monthly.Recidivists are not allowed to fish or build new ships, and do not enjoy theState’s support policies.
On October 23, 2017, the EC issued a "yellow card" warning to Vietnamafter the country failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fightagainst IUU fishing.
The "yellow card" is followed by a "greencard" if issues are resolved or a "red card" if they aren’t. A“red card” can lead to a trade ban on fishery products.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked 28 coastal localities to strictlyfollow the Prime Minister’s dispatch and directive related to IUU fishing, andto intensify inspections and investigations on IUU fishing to stop IUU fishingin foreign waters.-VNA
VNA
