On the afternoon of March 13, the Provincial Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) held a conference to deploy urgent tasks and solutions to combat IUU fishing in Thanh Hoa province.
Conference overview.
Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Head of the Provincial Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing Cao Van Cuong delivered the opening speech at the conference.
As of March 2024, the province had 6,052 fishing vessels; the rate of granting technical safety certificates for fishing vessels reached 72.7%, the rate of granting fishing licenses for vessels under 12m reached 87.1%, for vessels from 12m and above reached 97.5%; 1,048 fishing vessels were granted certificates of food safety facilities. At the same time, 100% of the province's vessels were equipped with voyage monitoring devices according to regulations.
There are 6,052 fishing boats in the province.
From the beginning of 2024 to present, implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has coordinated with the People's Committees at the commune and district levels to review all fishing vessels in the area; verify and handle fishing vessels that have lost connection to their journey monitoring devices for more than 6 months, and fishing vessels with a length of 24m or more that have lost connection at sea for more than 10 days. The management of fishing vessels and the implementation of the European Commission's (EC) recommendations on combating IUU fishing in the province have achieved many positive changes. However, in the province, there are still 70 "3 no" fishing vessels, 378 fishing vessels that have lost connection for more than 6 months, 359 fishing vessels that have lost connection at sea for 10 days; there are still fishing vessels that do not have enough paperwork to go fishing, and fishing vessels that are fishing in the wrong area. The Thanh Hoa Fisheries Inspection and Control Office has not yet advised on the definitive handling of vessels violating IUU fishing; monitoring of aquatic product output is not guaranteed.
Chairman of Hai Binh Ward People's Committee (Nghi Son town) gave comments at the conference.
At the conference, delegates discussed and proposed fundamental solutions to thoroughly overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings and limitations, promptly prevent and end IUU fishing in the province.
Delegates attending the conference.
Concluding the conference, Mr. Cao Van Cuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Head of the Provincial Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing, emphasized that in June 2024, the EC Inspection Delegation is expected to organize the 5th inspection to consider removing the "Yellow Card" warning for Vietnamese seafood; Thanh Hoa province is one of the key localities in the 5th inspection. Therefore, relevant departments, localities and units of the province need to strictly implement the content of the telegram No. 04/CD-UBND, dated March 8, 2024 of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee on the implementation of urgent tasks and solutions to combat IUU fishing in the province.
Authorities have increased patrols and controls to propagate and detect and handle violations.
Along with that, the authorities and localities need to focus on propagating to ship owners and households with ships to clearly understand the regulations on combating IUU fishing. In particular, focusing on fleet management, absolutely not allowing "3 no" ships to go fishing, supporting ships lacking documents to quickly complete procedures to go to sea; resolutely handling ships that disconnect their journey monitoring devices, fishing in the wrong areas. Thanh Hoa fishing port management board needs to arrange forces and staff to support ships docking and leaving the port, and managing seafood output through the port to ensure regulations.
All shortcomings and limitations in the province's anti-IUU fishing work must be completed before June 2024, contributing to the country's early removal of the EC's "Yellow Card" warning; especially not to affect the country's reputation, position and image.
Le Hoa
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