Raising awareness among coastal people about preventing and combating IUU fishing

On September 15, at An Thanh 3 Border Guard Station, the Soc Trang Provincial Border Guard Command held a conference to disseminate and educate the law for over 100 delegates, including officials, civil servants, people and fishermen in An Thanh Nam and An Thanh 3 communes (Cu Lao Dung district).

Checking safety equipment on a fishing vessel in Soc Trang. Photo: VNA

At the Conference, delegates were informed and disseminated the basic contents of the Vietnam Border Law, how to use the Vietnam Border Law app; Decree No. 106/2021/ND-CP, dated December 6, 2021 of the Government detailing a number of articles of the Vietnam Border Law; Decree No. 02/2021/ND-CP dated December 2, 2021 of the Government regulating the management, use and list of professional technical equipment and means of the Border Guard; Directive 01/CT-TTg dated January 9, 2015 of the Prime Minister on implementing the movement "All people participate in protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security in the new situation"; regulations of the European Commission (EC) on seafood exploitation, focusing on 12 IUU fishing violations; direction of the Government, ministries, branches and localities on preventing and combating IUU fishing, contributing to removing the "Yellow Card" warning in 2023. According to the leader of the Soc Trang Provincial Border Guard, the Conference was organized to raise awareness and sense of law compliance for cadres, people, vehicle owners, captains and fishermen in the area to properly comply with the Party's policies, the State's laws, and legal documents related to IUU. Thereby, building a border area and sea area with stable political security - social order and safety, meeting the development requirements of the locality; successfully performing the task of managing and firmly protecting the sovereignty and security of the Fatherland's sea border. On this occasion, An Thanh 3 Border Guard Station presented 100 life buoys, 100 life jackets and 100 national flags to fishermen in the area of ​​2 coastal communes. Previously, on September 13, Border Guard Squadron 2 and Trung Binh Border Guard Station, Soc Trang Provincial Border Guard coordinated with the Department of Fisheries, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Tran De District Police to patrol and control exploitation activities and protect marine resources in the waters under the unit's responsibility.

Presenting the national flag to Soc Trang fishermen. Photo: VNA

During the implementation of the mission, the Working Group contacted, inspected, coordinated the issuance and distribution of documents, leaflets, instructions and dissemination to fishing vessel owners and fishermen working on vessels about legal regulations in fishing vessel management; regulations on exploitation and protection of aquatic resources; regulations on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; the impact of the EC "Yellow Card" on seafood import and export; regulations on the prohibition of electricity use, prohibited occupations, prohibited fishing gear, prohibited fishing areas; fire and explosion prevention and fighting on ships and boats, etc.

Through the inspection, the delegation mobilized fishermen to maintain safe fishing fleets at sea, organized offshore fishing vessel owners to sign a commitment not to encroach on other countries' waters to exploit seafood, strictly comply with regulations when leaving port such as: having full documents, having nautical charts to serve the determination of maritime boundaries to limit the situation of fishing vessels violating IUU and strictly complying with the laws of Vietnam and other countries.

The leader of Soc Trang Fisheries Sub-Department said that through patrolling and propaganda activities, fishermen's awareness of IUU fishing prevention and control will be raised, in order to manage exploitation and develop the fisheries industry sustainably. Thereby, fishermen will have a firm grasp of the scope of Vietnam's waters, comply with the law when operating at sea, and not illegally fish in foreign waters; and join hands to remove the European Commission's "Yellow Card" on Vietnamese fisheries.

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