Thanh Hoa takes drastic measures to combat IUU fishing
On March 13, the People's Committee of the central province of Thanh Hoa held a conference to deploy urgent tasks and solutions to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Latest
Speaking at the conference, Director of Thanh Hoa's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Van Cuong, who is also Standing Deputy Head of the provincial Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing, requested relevant departments, agencies, and coastal localities to thoroughly address outstanding shortcomings and limitations towards promptly preventing and fully ending IUU fishing in the province.
 |
| Thanh Hoa is among the provinces that will be inspected during the fifth working round with the inspection delegation from the European Commission in May. (Photo: VNA) |
The province’s Fisheries Sub-Department and Thanh Hoa Fishing Port Management Board will continue to assign staff to guide households and fishing vessel owners to complete paperwork as prescribed.
They will keep coordinating with border guards and waterway traffic police to strengthen patrols and control fishing activities to strictly handle violations.
The fisheries sub-department strictly updated the volume of seafood catches unloaded at local ports onto the national database.
Any fishing vessels that are found to not meet regulations or commit IUU fishing must be reported to the competent authority for proper handling.
Competent agencies and localities were asked to intensify communications activities to raise vessel owners' and households' understanding of regulations against IUU fishing.
Vessels without registration, fishing licenses, and certificates that prove their seaworthiness (vessels with 3 NOs) are not allowed to operate at sea.
Meanwhile, the provincial Border Guard Command will organize a crackdown to ensure that vessels without papers, license plates, or vessel monitoring systems (VMS) are not allowed to sail.
They will also focus on verifying and handling cases where fishing vessels’ VMS lose connection while the ships are at sea or fishing vessels go beyond permitted boundaries at sea.
Thanh Hoa is among the provinces that will be inspected during the fifth working round with the inspection delegation from the European Commission (EC) in May.
(Source: VNA)
