Take immediate strong measures against illegal fishing

The People's Committee of Ha Tinh province has just issued a document directing the urgent implementation of strong measures against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) and preparing to work with the 4th European Commission Inspection Delegation.

Accordingly, to implement the contents under the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested heads of departments, branches, and Chairmen of People's Committees of coastal districts and towns to focus on leading and directing the serious and effective implementation of related contents.

Ha Tinh Border Guard strengthens inspection and control of implementation of regulations on fishing vessel tracking equipment.

On preventing and handling fishing vessels and fishermen illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters

The Provincial Border Guard Command directed the coastal border posts and stations to closely monitor the activities of vessels over 15m in length from the time they leave the channel to when they enter the channel; promptly prevent and resolutely prevent fishing boats and fishermen from Ha Tinh from illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters.

The provincial police direct the police of districts, cities and towns to grasp the situation in the management area with subjects who are owners of offshore fishing vessels, organize mobilization and propaganda combined with close supervision to promptly prevent fishing vessels and fishermen from illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters. Proactively monitor, grasp the situation, investigate, verify and strictly handle cases of brokers connecting fishing vessels and fishermen of Ha Tinh to illegally exploit in foreign waters (if any).

The People's Committees of coastal districts and towns direct functional forces, specialized departments, and People's Committees of communes/wards/towns with fishing vessels operating offshore to assign officers in charge of each fishing vessel owner to propagate, mobilize, prevent, and promptly handle cases showing signs of preparing to send vessels/fishermen to illegally exploit seafood in foreign waters.

About fleet management

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development directs and urges localities to promptly complete 100% of the registration, inspection, and issuance of fishing licenses for qualified fishing vessels; properly carry out deregistration procedures (ensure a clear understanding of the list and current status of deregistered fishing vessels); control and handle the situation of fishing vessels changing names, changing owners, transferring or buying and selling to ensure compliance with regulations. Update fishing vessel data on the Vnfishbase software to ensure that fishing vessel data matches and is consistent between reports and the national fisheries database (VNFishbase), and is consistent between competent authorities during the working period with the EC Inspection Delegation.

Organize 24/7 on-duty to monitor and supervise fishing vessels on the Fishing Vessel Monitoring System, ensuring that 100% of fishing vessels must maintain VMS device connection from the time they leave the port until they arrive at the port. When detecting cases of VMS disconnection, crossing maritime boundaries... coordinate with localities and functional forces, contact the captain to request compliance with VMS regulations, not crossing maritime boundaries. Make a list and notify relevant units and localities of all cases of fishing vessels at high risk of violating IUU fishing (not yet inspected, licensed to exploit, frequently disconnecting VMS, crossing maritime boundaries, operating in the wrong area...).

The Provincial Border Guard Command directs coastal border posts and stations to inspect and control 100% of fishing vessels of the province and fishing vessels of other provinces to ensure that they fully meet the prescribed conditions; in particular, VMS equipment on fishing vessels of 15m or more must be turned on and operate normally from the time they leave the port until they dock. Resolutely do not allow ships to leave the port that do not fully meet the prescribed conditions; fishing vessels on the list of high-risk fishing vessels.

The People's Committees of coastal districts and towns direct communes/wards/towns to assign staff to work directly with ship owners; guide and request ship owners to promptly complete 100% of registration, inspection, issuance of fishing licenses, and deregistration (to be completed before September 20, 2023). Organize a review of unregistered fishing vessels, make a list, classify (with and without complete documents), assign staff to directly guide ship owners with complete documents (factory certificate, approval document, tax payment receipt, technical safety certificate for fishing vessels with a maximum length of 12m or more) to promptly complete the registration of fishing vessels according to regulations; in case fishing vessels do not have complete documents to register fishing vessels, assign the task to the grassroots staff in charge of monitoring and supervising to prevent these vessels from participating in fishing activities.

Based on the list of fishing vessels at high risk of violating IUU fishing provided by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the responsibility is assigned to the functional forces and local authorities at the grassroots level (commune/ward/town) in charge of each vessel to promptly prevent and handle any intentional violations.

On traceability of exploited aquatic products

The management board of fishing ports, the office of inspection and control of fisheries at fishing ports strictly implements the regulations on inspection and control of fishing vessels entering and leaving the port in the field (number of fishing vessels entering and leaving the port, number inspected, ensuring that the records and inspection reports must match the data); inspect and control 100% of fishing vessels with a length of 24m or more entering the port. Collect and submit fishing logs with cross-checking with VMS data to promptly detect and promptly notify the authorities to handle cases of wrong area operations (not allowing fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more to operate in the wrong area, detected through the fishing vessel monitoring system and information recorded in the fishing log but without verification or handling results). Monitor 100% of the exploited aquatic product output unloaded at fishing ports, ensuring traceability of the origin of exploited aquatic products, no IUU violations.

On handling administrative violations

The Provincial Border Guard Command launched peak patrols, inspections, and thoroughly punished IUU fishing activities occurring in the province according to the provisions of Decree No. 42/2019/ND-CP dated May 16, 2019 of the Government. Deploy surprise inspections and controls to detect, prevent, arrest, and handle fishing vessels operating in coastal waters, vessels fishing in the wrong direction, and other forms of illegal IUU fishing according to regulations.

Functional forces (border guards, police, fisheries control) review, synthesize data, store records of handling IUU fishing violations, and provide records of handling as requested by the EC Inspection Team.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to fully update the results of sanctions into the software system for monitoring and managing administrative violation handling activities in the fisheries sector at https://vphc.tongcucthuysan.gov.vn/cms.nc; synthesize and report the results of sanctions for IUU fishing violations in the locality.

About propaganda work

The Department of Information and Communications shall preside over and coordinate with relevant departments, sectors and localities to continue to strengthen information, communication, propaganda, training and mobilization of coastal fishing communities and relevant organizations and individuals to comply with legal regulations on IUU and handling of violations in fishing activities.

People's Committees of communes/wards/towns with fishing vessels: daily announce on the local public address system the list of fishing vessels at high risk of violating IUU fishing; organize propaganda on regulations against IUU fishing, instruct people to strictly implement regulations on fishing vessel management.

The Fishing Port Management Board organizes propaganda on the fishing port's loudspeaker system and other forms of regulations on combating IUU fishing.

Prepare working content with EC Inspection Delegation

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development organizes an interdisciplinary inspection team to inspect, supervise, and urge local agencies and functional forces (sub-department of fisheries, fishing ports, border guards, etc.) to implement regulations against IUU fishing. Promptly advise the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to review and strictly handle organizations and individuals who do not fulfill their assigned duties and responsibilities. Develop scenarios and detailed plans, prepare all the best conditions to welcome and work with the Inspection Delegation of the European Commission.

Before September 25, 2023, departments, branches and localities shall synthesize and report the results of implementing the task of combating IUU fishing to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for synthesis and reporting to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Provincial People's Committee...

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