It has been 5 years since Vietnam received the “yellow card” from the European Commission (EC) for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In more than 2 months, the EC inspection team will come to Vietnam for the 4th inspection of compliance with regulations against IUU fishing. The results of this inspection will be decisive in whether Vietnam can remove the “yellow card” for seafood or not?
There are still ships violating foreign waters.
Like other coastal provinces and cities across the country, Binh Thuan has in recent years drastically and synchronously implemented many solutions to prevent fishing vessels and fishermen from violating foreign waters. Strengthening propaganda and dissemination of laws to fishermen. Strictly managing, inspecting and controlling fishing vessels entering and leaving ports and operating at sea as well as reviewing and making a list of high-risk fishing vessels to put them under special management and monitoring. Requiring ship owners and captains of offshore fishing vessels to sign a commitment not to violate foreign waters. At the same time, vigorously deploying the installation of voyage monitoring equipment on fishing vessels (VMS) and using voyage monitoring data to monitor and supervise fishing vessels operating at sea. However, the case of a fishing vessel in Ham Tan district violating foreign waters in early 2023 showed that this situation is still very high risk.
Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Hong Hai during an inspection of the Provincial Fishing Vessel Data Monitoring Center.
According to the provincial Fisheries Department, in the first 6 months of 2023, the Fishing Vessel Data Monitoring Center detected and called for 5 cases of fishing vessels that crossed the maritime boundary to return to Vietnamese waters; issued 4 notices, requests, and reminders to ship owners and captains to check and fix the problem of losing VMS connection signal at sea. However, the situation of fishing vessels losing VMS connection at sea still occurs frequently, causing difficulties in control, potentially posing a risk of fishing vessels violating foreign waters.
Most recently, in Ca Mau province, authorities discovered a fishing vessel hiding 10 VMS devices. Through investigation, the vessel owner admitted that 7 VMS devices had been installed on fishing vessels in Ca Mau province and 3 devices had been installed on fishing vessels in Kien Giang province. After going to sea, these vessels removed the VMS devices and hired this squid fishing vessel to keep them for a fee of 30 - 60 liters of fuel per vessel. According to the professional team handling violations of the Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing in Ca Mau province, the fishing vessels that had removed the journey monitoring devices were in the high-risk group for violating foreign waters. In addition, fishing vessels under 15m were not required to install VMS and were only allowed to operate in offshore areas, but violations in offshore areas also occurred. In Binh Thuan, this situation is no exception and the authorities have difficulty in management. For fishing vessels violating foreign waters, up to now, there has been no case of fishing vessels being punished according to Decree No. 42/2019/ND-CP of the Government.
The whole province has only 6 ships that have not installed VMS equipment. Photo: N. Lan.
Take strong measures
Regarding other IUU fishing vessels, the situation is still complicated. Since the beginning of the year, the authorities have increased patrols and controls, and have sanctioned 133 cases of violations/collected fines of more than 1.4 billion VND. In particular, the main violations are: Fishing vessels operating without registration (26 cases); fishing vessels of 15 m or more not docking at designated ports to unload products (23 cases); storing and using tools, electric shocks, and toxic substances to exploit seafood (21 cases); not notifying the fishing port management organization before entering the port as prescribed (21 cases); using prohibited fishing gear and occupations (16 cases)...
Other IUU fishing violations are still complicated.
This shows that some fishermen have poor awareness of law enforcement, and for their own and their families' economic interests, despite warnings from authorities and local governments, they have deliberately violated the law and illegally exploited seafood in foreign waters. In addition, the management of fishing vessels has revealed many limitations, and has been slow to overcome the situation of fishing vessels operating without a fishing license as prescribed (although the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced it weekly, up to now there are still 1,023 fishing vessels without a fishing license). The management of fishing vessels in the province that regularly operate, stay, and depart from ports outside the province has revealed many limitations and is not strict. The exchange, coordination, and processing of fishing vessel information at both the departure and arrival points according to the coordination regulations between provinces is not good, lacking effective methods and measures...
The management of fishing vessels in the province that regularly operate, stay, and depart from ports outside the province has revealed many limitations. Photo: N. Lan.
Regarding key solutions until October 2023, the Provincial Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing requires localities to implement strong measures to resolutely prevent fishing vessels from illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters. Strengthen inspection and strictly control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports in accordance with regulations; resolutely not allow fishing vessels that do not meet the conditions for fishing to leave ports for exploitation. Continue to investigate and thoroughly handle cases of fishing vessels of the province that violated regulations and were detained by foreign countries in 2022 and 2023. Investigate and prosecute organizations and individuals who conduct acts of brokerage, collusion to bring Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally exploit seafood in foreign waters and broker the redemption of fishing vessels and fishermen illegally detained by foreign countries to return to the country...
Up to now, the whole Binh Thuan province has only 20 fishing boats of 15 meters or more that have not installed VMS equipment (1,941/1,961 fishing boats); of which 14 are damaged and are no longer able to operate or are waiting for execution of judgments or civil disputes. For the 6 fishing boats that have not installed equipment, the provincial leaders directed functional forces and local authorities to work with the boat owners to require installation this August, and resolutely not allow them to leave port for exploitation.
Removing the “yellow card” on fisheries this year is the determination of Vietnam in general and Binh Thuan in particular. This task is not to deal with the EC inspection team, but to change Vietnam’s fisheries towards a more sustainable direction. Therefore, not only fishermen need to change their awareness, but the relevant agencies must also work together, as well as have appropriate policies to help fishermen feel secure, exploit marine resources legally, contributing to solving many jobs, improving people’s lives.
Strengthening propaganda against IUU fishing
Since the beginning of the year, the Department of Fisheries has coordinated with localities to organize 7 classes/526 fishermen, distributed 1,816 leaflets, 2,500 keychains to fishermen, focusing on offshore fishing vessels and occupations with high risk of IUU violations. In addition, the Provincial Border Guard Command has organized 208 propaganda sessions/21,514 fishermen participating, requiring 452 ship owners and captains to sign a commitment not to violate IUU fishing. In addition, the Fishing Port Management Boards periodically (3 sessions/week) propagate through the loudspeaker system, distribute fishing logbooks, propaganda leaflets to ship owners, captains and sea workers; publish many propaganda articles in the Provincial Newspaper, Radio and on the local loudspeaker system.
Go to each house to persuade fishermen and relatives not to exploit seafood illegally in La Gi.
Some localities, especially wards and communes in La Gi town, have many effective methods and measures in propagating the law on combating IUU fishing such as: Establishing a propaganda team, mobilizing each ship owner to distribute leaflets, and propagandizing against IUU violations. At the same time, coordinating with religious dignitaries and church priests to propagate and mobilize fishermen not to violate foreign waters; hanging billboards on main roads about combating IUU fishing, stopping fishing vessels and fishermen from violating foreign waters; broadcasting on wireless broadcasting systems, mobile broadcasting to every alley and corner in the neighborhood...
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