Coastal provinces act to remove EC yellow card
In an effort to remove the yellow card imposed by the European Commission (EC), coastal cities and provinces have adopted drastic measures to fight irregular, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
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| Fishermen popularised about regulations on fishing at sea. (Photo: VNA) |
Dang Van Tin, head of Ninh Thuan province’s Fisheries Sub-Department, said the province has adopted solutions to monitor and control the activities of fishing vessels, ensuring they follow State regulations while tracing the origin of aquatic products to prevent any IUU fishing.
Relevant agencies have been assigned to strengthen supervision over fishing vessels, crew members, vessel safety equipment, food hygiene, output control, and fishing records at the Fisheries Control Office at Dong Hai Port in Phan Rang - Thap Cham city and Ca Na Port in Thuan Nam district. Vessels that don’t complete the necessary documents and procedures will not be allowed to leave port.
With the installation of tracking systems on boats, it’s become easier for police to detect violations in offshore fishing. They can therefore prevent boats from operating in foreign waters and provide timely assistance for them if they strike trouble at sea.
Vessels that don’t turn on the system will be reminded and then face strict punishment by agencies if they still fail to do so.
Ninh Thuan province has 708 vessels installed with tracking systems. Those with owners facing financial difficulties, running at a loss, or suffering damage are yet to be equipped with the systems.
In the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, meanwhile, 1,250 vessels have had monitoring systems installed in the three years since they were first introduced.
Of these, 1,200 vessels are of 15-24 metres in length and the remainder more than 24 metres.
According to Nguyen Van Viet, deputy head of Ca Mau province’s Fisheries Sub-department, substantial efforts have been made in promoting relevant legal documents to raise public awareness about IUU fishing.
However, a number of boat owners have not yet taken part in training courses and communications work on the matter.
Ca Mau is home to one of Viet Nam’s four major fishing grounds and boasts abundant seafood reserves, thus attracting many fishing boats from other localities.
The province has accelerated its communications work to help local fishermen gain a better legal understanding on preventing and fighting illegal fishing.
In addition to issuing leaflets, the sub-department has coordinated with relevant agencies to prepare reports informing local people about areas where fishing is prohibited as well as providing them with knowledge on regulations and penalties for illegal fishing in foreign waters.
Nguyen Van Thuong, a local fisherman, said that thanks to the information campaign on fighting illegal fishing, his family understands its harmful effect.
It not only impacts the lives and assets of fishermen but also means any illegal fishing is in vain because no country will buy the catch, he said.
(Source: VNA)
