To focus on developing the sustainable fishing industry, Ha Tinh is making efforts and determined to effectively implement synchronous solutions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing).
Fishermen are guided by professional staff on procedures when leaving port to exploit seafood.
Tightening management of anti-IUU fishing
With the focused leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee, effective coordination between departments, branches, localities and the cooperation of fishermen, anti-IUU fishing activities in the province continue to have many positive changes.
The provincial Department of Fisheries has launched a series of high-profile campaigns to implement the Fisheries Law in an effort to ensure that 100% of fishing vessels operating in the fisheries sector are inspected and licensed according to regulations. The unit has organized many meetings and direct exchanges with local authorities with a high number of fishing vessels violating regulations, such as Ky Loi commune (Ky Anh town), Cam Linh commune (Cam Xuyen), Ky Xuan commune (Ky Anh district)... regarding the issuance of fishing licenses, inspection and deregistration of inactive fishing vessels.
At the same time, focus on reviewing the list of fishing vessels so that localities can support and monitor fishermen to properly implement regulations according to the 2017 Fisheries Law. Up to now, the whole province has 2,528/2,784 fishing vessels with valid fishing licenses, reaching 90.80%; 92/92 fishing vessels operating in offshore fishing have installed voyage monitoring equipment...
Information on fishing vessels operating near the boundary line allowing fishing at sea is continuously communicated to the monitoring system.
Propaganda work has been promoted, gradually improving legal knowledge as well as awareness of friendly fishing for fishermen. People actively comply with regulations, contributing to creating favorable conditions for the government and management agencies to control information on fishing.
Mr. Tran Van Thinh - a fisherman in Thach Kim commune (Loc Ha) said: "After being informed of the regulations on preventing IUU fishing, I strictly comply with keeping a fishing log and regularly maintain the operation of the device to monitor the journey at sea."
Ha Tinh also focuses on remotely preventing fishing vessels that are at risk of violating IUU fishing. Fishing vessels that do not meet the legal requirements will not be cleared for export by the Management Board of Fishing Ports and Wharves.
Mr. Than Quoc Te - Deputy Director of the Management Board of Fishing Ports and Wharves in Ha Tinh said: “The unit conducts checks and refuses to grant permits to leave the port if the vessel does not comply with the provisions of the law. In addition, information on fishing vessels that lose connection, fish in the wrong area, operate near the boundary line for permitted fishing at sea, etc. is continuously updated to the steering groups so that localities, departments and branches can handle it. For fishing vessels that often operate near the boundary line for permitted fishing, we continuously remind and provide timely information so that captains and vessel owners pay attention and return the vessel to a safe area.”
Currently, the province's fishing vessel inspection rate is still low (173/535 fishing vessels have valid fishing vessel safety certificates).
Continue to implement synchronous solutions
Besides positive changes, currently, the work of preventing IUU fishing in our province still has limitations that need to be overcome: the number of registered fishing vessels in the province is still low (173/535 fishing vessels with valid fishing vessel safety certificates - reaching 32.33%); law enforcement, inspection and handling of fishing vessels fishing illegally at sea are still limited; the quality of fishing logs does not meet requirements; exploitation and use of fisheries control databases at fishing ports on electronic software are still limited (currently the database is mainly done manually, recorded, copied, and stored on paper).
To continue joining hands with the whole country to remove the "yellow card" and prepare to welcome the EC inspection delegation to work in Vietnam in October 2023, the IUU Steering Committee of Ha Tinh province has issued many telegrams, plans and documents on strengthening the implementation of the task of combating IUU fishing. Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee requested the heads of Party committees and authorities at all levels to directly lead and direct, and consider this an important and urgent task that requires focused resources to implement.
The Provincial Border Guard Command is responsible for focusing on patrolling, inspecting, and punishing IUU fishing activities according to regulations.
The Provincial Border Guard Command shall focus on patrolling, inspecting and thoroughly punishing IUU fishing activities according to the provisions of Decree No. 42/2019/ND-CP dated May 16, 2019 of the Government. Resolutely not allowing fishing vessels to leave port without sufficient procedures, documents and equipment as prescribed; deploying surprise inspections and controls to detect, prevent, arrest and handle fishing vessels operating in coastal waters, vessels operating in the wrong direction and other forms of illegal fishing.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoang - Head of Ha Tinh Fisheries Sub-Department said: "The unit proactively operates the equipment to monitor fishing vessel journeys 24/7, ensuring the completion of fishing vessel management work according to regulations (registration, inspection, granting of fishing licenses, granting of food safety and hygiene certificates when there are records, fully updating fishing vessel data into the national fisheries database); ensuring 100% of fishing vessels dock at designated ports, monitoring 100% of local exploited aquatic product output".
At the meeting on combating IUU fishing held on August 29, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Hong Linh requested departments, branches and localities to continue to launch peak inspections, control and strictly handle violations according to regulations on combating IUU fishing. In the immediate future, the entire province must vigorously implement the contents of the province's action plan against IUU fishing, and prepare well for working with the EC inspection team. In particular, focus on overcoming two major problems: the low rate of fishing vessel inspections and the fact that offshore fishing vessels often lose connection to their journey monitoring devices while fishing at sea. |
Thai Oanh
Source
Comment (0)