Linking seafood exploitation with protecting sea and island sovereignty

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, our province has more than 7,800 fishing vessels and over 46,000 fishermen directly involved in seafood exploitation with an annual seafood exploitation output of 225-230 thousand tons. The coastal and offshore fishing grounds of the province are about 14,000 km² wide. However, illegal seafood exploitation and violations of regulations on the protection of aquatic resources (including fishing vessels inside and outside the province) in the province's waters still occur. The flying trawling industry operates in the wrong direction in some places and at times is complicated, causing frustration for fishermen. In particular, despite the efforts of the entire political system from the province to the grassroots, the situation of fishing vessels and fishermen illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters has not been completely prevented and stopped, with the emergence of a group of fishing vessels that frequently stay and depart from ports outside the province at high risk.

Border guards distribute leaflets and disseminate legal regulations on seafood exploitation to fishermen.

Therefore, in recent times, the coordination between fisheries management agencies and the provincial Border Guard force in performing the task of protecting sovereignty, security and order in the province's sea areas and state management of fishing activities, protecting aquatic resources has always been of interest, maintained regularly and closely. In particular, the work of propagating sea and island sovereignty associated with preventing illegal fishing and not violating foreign waters is identified as an important and top political task. Thereby, contributing to raising the awareness of the people in the province about the position and role of Vietnam's seas and islands in the cause of national construction and defense; creating firm belief, consensus and unanimity among the people about the Party's guidelines, policies and viewpoints, and the State's policies and laws related to the seas and islands.

With the responsibility of playing a key and direct role in preventing and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, especially preventing and stopping fishing vessels in the province from illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Provincial Border Guard Command have advised the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on many documents to direct the implementation of anti-IUU fishing and organize propaganda. At the same time, they have coordinated to effectively handle issues arising in practice related to the management and control of fishing vessel operating conditions (registration, inspection, fishing licenses, safety equipment for fishing vessels, crew certificates); control and ensure security and order in fishing activities at sea and at anchorages, fishing ports and fishing wharves.

In addition, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Provincial Border Guard Command also coordinated with local authorities in coastal areas to mobilize boat owners to participate in establishing production teams at sea. Up to now, the whole province has established and maintained 158 solidarity teams/1,530 ships with 7,744 workers. The consolidation and development of production teams at sea has facilitated the dissemination of the Party's policies and the State's laws to the people, helping functional sectors and localities to grasp the situation at sea, and take timely measures in managing and handling issues related to national defense and security, natural disaster prevention, and search and rescue.

At the same time, the Government's policies to support fishermen operating in offshore areas have been effectively implemented. Therefore, the number of large-capacity fishing vessels registered to operate in offshore areas continues to increase. From 2019 to present, the province has supported fishermen in exploiting offshore areas according to Decision 48 of the Prime Minister with an amount of over 800 billion VND, of which 786 billion VND is fuel support. This has contributed to creating conditions to help fishermen reduce difficulties, maintain production, increase the presence of fishermen in offshore areas, and combine production with protecting sovereignty over seas and islands.

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