A Vietnamese fishing vessel (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy PrimeMinister Trinh Dinh Dung urged stronger and more drastic and appropriatemeasures to early complete all recommendations by the European Commission (EC) soas to remove its yellow card warning over illegal, unreported, and unregulatedfishing (IUU).
Addressing the fourth session of theNational Steering Committee for IUU Prevention on September 8, Dung said thatVietnam has coordinated closely with the EC in fighting IUU fishing andachieved many progresses in enforcing EC recommendations.
However, this is not enough, Dung stressed,pointing to the slow implementation in several localities.
He assigned the Ministry of NationalDefence to continue intensifying patrols at overlapping and undefined watersbetween Vietnam and other countries.
The Ministry of Public Security wasrequested to strictly investigate cases related to bringing Vietnamese fishingvessels to operate illegally in other countries’ waters, and strengtheninternational cooperation in this field.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry was askedto speed up negotiations towards the signing of agreements on delimitation ofspecial economic zones between Vietnam and other countries, and exert effortsto ensure legitimate interests of Vietnamese fishermen when they are arrestedillegally by foreign authorised forces.
For the long-term solution, the Deputy PMstressed the need of reducing exploitation and increasing aquaculture.
Speaking at the event, Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that after nearlythree years receiving the yellow card warning, Vietnam has finished a largevolume of works recommended by the EC, with the national steering committee setup and a number of related decrees, circulars and legal documents issued.
The number of Vietnamese fishing boatsseized by foreign forces in the first eight months of 2020 decreased, and 80.61percent of vessels with a length of 15m or more had been equipped with thevessel monitoring systems as of August 31.
According to the minister, the EC acknowledgedVietnam’s efforts, but noted that there remain fishermen violating foreignfishing zones.
If violations continue, the commission willnot withdraw its yellow card, he added./.
VNA
