Minister Le Minh Hoan responds to the proposal to amend regulations on skipjack tuna exploitation sizes.

In response to requests from voters in Binh Dinh and Khanh Hoa provinces regarding regulations on the size of skipjack tuna for harvesting, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan stated that the matter will be resolved by April 2025.

The proportion of skipjack tuna meeting the criteria of being 50cm or longer is very small in current fishing trips - Photo: MINH CHIEN

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan has just signed a document responding to a petition from voters in Binh Dinh and Khanh Hoa provinces regarding regulations on the size of skipjack tuna for harvesting.

The EU, the US, Australia, and other countries do not yet have regulations regarding the size of skipjack tuna for harvesting.

Accordingly, voters in Binh Dinh province agree with the regulation on the minimum size allowed for exploitation of aquatic species living in natural waters to protect sustainable aquatic resources, as stipulated in Government Decree No. 37-2024 amending and supplementing some articles of Decree No. 26-2019 detailing some articles and measures for implementing the Law on Fisheries (hereinafter referred to as Decree 37-2024).

However, voters argue that in reality, skipjack tuna measuring 500mm or more are rare, with most being between 300-350mm, and that this is a migratory species that lives not only in Vietnamese waters.

Voters have petitioned the Ministry to submit to the Government for careful consideration and evaluation the regulations regarding skipjack tuna fishing to ensure suitability and facilitate the fishing activities of fishermen.

Voters in Khanh Hoa province reported that many fishing boats are currently docked because their catch does not meet the required size standards. Due to barriers, they can only sell their products retail in the domestic market, resulting in a 30% drop in prices compared to before, leading to losses on fishing trips.

There is a risk that some fishermen in Central Vietnam will stop going to sea. In the long run, this will not only cause a shortage of raw materials for production and export but also affect the protection of the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland's seas and islands.

Voters have requested that the Ministry research and revise Decree 37-2024 to better reflect current practices, as no country, including the EU, the US, Australia, or the United Nations' Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), has regulations or recommendations regarding minimum catch sizes for skipjack tuna.

Even the EU itself does not have regulations on the minimum catch size for skipjack tuna; fishing vessels from Spain and other EU countries still catch skipjack tuna weighing less than 1kg.

Complete the revisions by April 2025.

In response to the above proposal, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that the current state of aquatic resources in Vietnam has shown a very serious decline in both quantity and quality over the past few years due to overfishing, fishing with prohibited gear, and nets with mesh sizes smaller than regulations, etc.

Therefore, Vietnam's regulations on the harvesting size of marine species are consistent with the advanced fisheries management trends of countries in the region and the world, aiming to maintain and protect aquatic resources.

However, this is the first time that regulations under the 2017 Fisheries Law are being applied to tuna species, so the implementation process has encountered difficulties and obstacles for fishermen, businesses, and local fisheries management units.

The reason is that most fishermen have been accustomed to traditional fishing methods for many years, harvesting all immature and juvenile fish, and therefore have not had time to adapt and change their fishing methods and gear to comply with the new regulations.

The process of amending and supplementing Government Decree 37-2024 was carried out in a short period, therefore, there has not been a thorough and specific impact assessment on fishermen and businesses regarding the regulations on the size of harvested aquatic species and the mixing of raw materials.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development affirms that the review results show that the regulation of minimum size for exploitation, including for skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), as stipulated in Decree 37-2024, is necessary, ensuring sufficient legal basis, scientific and practical grounds to protect aquatic resources and meet the requirements and recommendations of the European Commission (EC).

However, in practice, there have been difficulties and obstacles in its application at the present time.

Therefore, in order to simultaneously ensure the protection of aquatic resources, meet EC requirements, and ensure that the traditional fishing activities of fishermen and the exports of businesses are not affected, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is reporting and proposing to the Prime Minister to allow the drafting of an amended Decree using a simplified procedure to promptly resolve difficulties for organizations, individuals, and businesses in the fishing sector.

According to the plan, the issuance of the amended and supplemented Decree will be completed in April 2025.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-truong-le-minh-hoan-tra-loi-kien-nghi-ve-sua-quy-dinh-kich-thuoc-khai-thac-ca-ngu-van-20250201145536107.htm