Many localities strengthen the fight against IUU fishing

The provinces of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Quang Ngai, and Binh Thuan have stepped up the implementation of drastic solutions to prevent IUU fishing.

Propaganda against IUU fishing for fishermen in Ly Son island district

Naval Region 5 informs more than 1,500 people in Ca Mau province about the situation of the sea and islands.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau: Propaganda for more than 300 officials and fishermen on combating IUU fishing

View of the propaganda conference (Photo: Vietnam Law).

On May 30, the Command of Coast Guard Region 3 organized propaganda about the sea, islands, regulations in preventing and combating IUU fishing for more than 300 delegates, including leaders of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, associations, unions of communes and towns, secretaries, deputy secretaries, heads of the front work committees of 50 neighborhoods and hamlets, dignitaries, officials of religious organizations, and fishermen in Long Dien district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.

At the propaganda session, the Reporter of the Command of Coast Guard Region 3 disseminated to the delegates the key content of the provisions of the law on preventing and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), the current situation of security and safety of our country's seas and islands, the basic contents of the Law of the Sea of ​​Vietnam, the Law on the Coast Guard of Vietnam, the Law on Fisheries 2017. Regulations on sanctions for IUU violations of some countries with maritime areas adjacent to Vietnam.

This activity contributes to promoting the combined strength of the great national unity bloc for the cause of protecting sovereignty, maintaining security, order, safety and sustainable economic development in the seas and islands of the Fatherland. It also helps fishermen grasp the scope of Vietnam's sea areas, consciously comply with the law when fishing offshore in adjacent and overlapping sea areas, and join hands with functional forces to remove the "yellow card" of the European Commission (EC).

Quang Ngai deploys many forms of propaganda against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing

Quang Ngai Province Border Guards are actively implementing many measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing (Photo: Quang Ngai Television).

In order to raise awareness and responsibility of fishermen in exploiting seafood in accordance with the law; overcome, prevent and end IUU violations. In addition to strengthening inspection and strict supervision of vehicles entering and leaving the sea for business, the Border Guard of Quang Ngai province has deployed many forms of propaganda, guiding fishing activities to become orderly and creating positive changes in fishermen's compliance with the law.

With the model of "Border Loudspeaker" on the streets, in the same alleys to the boat anchorage areas and fishing ports in Pho Thanh ward, Duc Pho town, Quang Ngai province, the image of Border Guard soldiers with motorbikes carrying loudspeakers, broadcasting information about legal regulations on combating illegal fishing IUU has helped many fishermen here to grasp and strictly comply with regulations on seafood exploitation at sea.

Quang Ngai has more than 4,200 fishing vessels, all of which have been updated in the National Fisheries Database. Fishing vessels with a length of 15 meters or more are closely monitored through the fisheries monitoring system, and each case of violation of regulations on disconnection from monitoring the journey on fishing vessels is clearly understood and strictly handled.

Binh Thuan continues to drastically implement solutions to prevent IUU fishing

A working delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development inspected IUU prevention work at Phan Thiet Port (Photo: VNA).

Recently, the working delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had a working session with the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province on the situation of combating IUU fishing in the locality and the results of implementing the recommendations of the European Commission (EC).

Mr. Nguyen Van Chien, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Thuan province, said: The prevention and cessation of fishing vessels violating foreign waters have been implemented by functional units with drastic and synchronous solutions. In particular, the list of fishing vessels with "high risk" for special monitoring has been compiled and assigned officers, soldiers, and party members in the area to monitor, supervise, and promptly prevent fishing vessels from violating foreign waters; organizing 24/7 on-duty at the Fishing Vessel Monitoring Center to remind ship owners to maintain VMS signals when operating at sea... has contributed to preventing and stopping fishing vessels and fishermen from violating foreign waters.

Apart from the incident of a fishing vessel violating in early 2023, there have been no additional fishing vessels violating foreign waters to date.

To date, units have installed VMS equipment for 1,942 operating fishing vessels/1,953 fishing vessels with a length of 15 meters or more (100% of operating fishing vessels); 11 fishing vessels that have not been installed are due to damage, inactivity, execution of judgments, civil disputes or have been sold outside the province for many years, with no information, the province has reported the fishing vessels missing.

The Department of Fisheries has registered 5,935 fishing vessels with a length of 6 meters or more and updated them in the national fishing vessel register and the VNfishbase database; granted fishing licenses to 3,290/5,935 fishing vessels, reaching 55.4% (due to the expiry of fishing licenses on April 30, 2024, focusing on reissuing new licenses).

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Chien, through monitoring on the fishing vessel monitoring system, from October 2024 to present, Binh Thuan has: 69 cases of fishing vessels losing connection for more than 6 hours without reporting their location to the shore station; 43 cases of fishing vessels losing connection for more than 10 days at sea (21 cases have been verified and punished; the remaining 22 cases are being verified and handled); 204 cases of fishing vessels losing connection for more than 6 months (through verification, 177 fishing vessels lost connection on shore, stopped using the service; 27 fishing vessels lost connection at sea but returned to shore 10 days in advance)...

Other results of handling IUU fishing vessels: in 2023, the Department of Fisheries fined 378 cases/VND3.5 billion; the Provincial Border Guard Command fined 197 cases/VND650 million. In the first 5 months of the year, the Department of Fisheries continued to fine 64 cases/VND1.1 billion (including 15 cases of not maintaining VMS device signals); the Provincial Border Guard Command fined 153 cases/VND574 million.

Promoting the achieved results, in the coming time, Binh Thuan province will continue to lead and direct agencies and units to promote propaganda and education for fishermen on the policies of the Party and State, legal documents on exploitation and fishing of aquatic and marine products. Strengthen patrol, control and supervision at border gates, seaports and border control stations. At the same time, closely coordinate with local Party committees, authorities, departments, branches and organizations to create a combined strength, helping fishermen confidently go offshore and stick to the sea.

Ca Mau determined to strictly handle fishing vessels violating foreign waters

On the afternoon of March 11, the Border Guard Command of Ca Mau province implemented the Decision of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee on administrative sanctions against the owner of fishing boat CM 06051 TS, for illegally fishing in foreign waters.

Coordinate to promote propaganda about sea, islands and combat IUU fishing

On the afternoon of March 21, the Propaganda Department of Kien Giang Provincial Party Committee coordinated with the Command of Coast Guard Region 4 to organize a conference to sign a program to coordinate propaganda and dissemination of laws between the two units in 2024 and 2025.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/nhieu-dia-phuong-tang-cuong-cong-tac-chong-khai-thac-iuu-200567.html