Online conference on combating illegal fishing in preparation for the EC delegation's inspection visit

On the morning of September 28, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, chaired an online conference with coastal provinces and cities to gather information on preparations for the 4th European Commission (EC) inspection of combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).

Attending and chairing the conference at the Ninh Binh provincial bridge point were leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; representatives of leaders of a number of departments and branches; the Provincial Border Guard Command; leaders of Kim Son district and Chairmen of People's Committees of communes and towns with fishing boats operating at sea.

According to the plan, the EC's IUU Inspection Team is expected to visit Vietnam from October 10. The Team will have a working session with the Vietnam IUU Steering Committee; agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, such as the Department of Fisheries Control, the Department of Animal Health, the Department of Fisheries and related agencies; conduct field inspections in a number of localities to assess the implementation results of the EC's recommendations in the EC's "Yellow Card Warning" notice dated October 23, 2017, focusing on checking the Team's recommendations after the third inspection in October 2022 to draw a conclusion on whether to remove or maintain the "Yellow Card" warning for Vietnam's exploited aquatic products.

The inspection focuses on controlling fishing vessels violating foreign waters, controlling fishing vessels entering and leaving ports and operating at sea, controlling imported raw materials, and tracing the origin of aquatic products from exploitation.

According to the National Steering Committee on IUU, up to now, Vietnam has achieved high consensus and drastic actions at all levels, sectors, fishing communities, businesses, and achieved consensus from the whole society.

Vietnam has built a comprehensive and complete legal framework for fisheries management and combating IUU fishing. Fishing vessel management has changed significantly, traceability of aquatic products has been implemented, chain control from port output control to export certification and raw material control at processing plants.

Notably, the number of vessels violating foreign waters has decreased significantly since 2015. To date, the number of fishing vessels violating illegal fishing in foreign waters that have been arrested and handled has decreased by 84.35% compared to 2016.

After reviewing the conditions, Vietnam is ready to welcome the EC delegation to inspect IUU.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien requested publicity, transparency and practicality of related contents so that the working delegation can have a realistic view, see Vietnam's efforts and determination in implementing IUU, thereby reaching consensus, helping, and working together to remove difficulties, create favorable conditions in exploiting and exporting goods, connecting supply and demand to integrate and develop together.

In Ninh Binh, the province currently has 67 fishing vessels exploiting seafood, of which 6/8 offshore fishing vessels anchored in other provinces are operating. The output in 2022 is about 7 thousand tons; in the first 9 months of 2023, it reached 5,188 tons.

Ninh Binh has no fishing port, only a storm shelter for fishing boats at the mouth of the Day River. Although the number of fishing boats is small, mainly operating inshore, the province has recently been very determined in directing the fight against IUU fishing.

Up to now, 100% of the province's fishing vessels have been registered and granted licenses for fishing activities, and their data has been updated on VN-Fishbase; 8 fishing vessels over 15m long operating offshore have been equipped with voyage monitoring devices.

The province's authorities regularly patrol, inspect and monitor fishing activities at sea; promptly detect and prevent fishing vessels violating IUU fishing. During the period (from May 6, 2019 to September 19, 2023), Ninh Binh province had no fishing vessels handled for violating fishing in foreign waters. There were no fishing vessels at high risk of violating illegal fishing regulations.

In the coming time, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to advise on the implementation of tasks and solutions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the province as required in Decision No. 81/QD-TTg dated February 13, 2023 of the Prime Minister promulgating the "Action Plan to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, preparing to work with the 4th European Commission Inspection Delegation".

Tien Dat - Minh Duong

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