It is necessary to prevent and handle fishing activities using electric pulses and explosives.

Recently, some fishermen, for short-term benefits, have disregarded the law and used illegal means such as explosives and electric shocks to catch aquatic and marine products, seriously threatening the marine ecosystem and directly affecting the lives of fishermen in coastal communes in the province. Although people are very upset and have reported to the authorities many times, this situation has not been resolved yet.

A fishing boat with a license plate of Quang Ngai province, fishing by electric pulse, is anchored near the coast of Vinh Thai commune, Vinh Linh district - Photo: TRAN TUYEN

Destructive fishing

We met fisherman Le Van Thiem (49 years old) in Dong Luat village, Vinh Thai commune, Vinh Linh district, on a day in mid-August. Thiem's ​​family owns a small wooden boat with a 10 HP engine, engaged in near-shore fishing. “My boat has two workers. From the beginning of March to July (lunar calendar), we catch squid using traps. From July to March of the following year, we cast gillnets to catch sea bream, herring, and make shrimp paste… Many years ago, our fishing was quite successful. However, in the last 10 years or so, it hasn't been like that anymore,” Thiem began his story.

Mr. Thiem recounted that, starting from the third lunar month each year, many fishing boats registered in Quang Ngai province come to the waters near Vinh Thai commune to catch seafood using electric shock. These boats usually anchor a few nautical miles from the shore. When night falls, these fishing boats begin their operations.

“These boats use electric pulses to catch fish, so all kinds of seafood, big and small, die. In the morning, they bring the fish to sell to local traders. They don’t have any fishing gear on board, but there are a lot of shrimp and fish,” Thiem said.

Mr. Thiem also said that there were a few fishing boats of Kim Thach commune using explosives to catch aquatic products in Vinh Thai sea. These boats were fishing about 1 nautical mile from shore. After the explosions, thousands of fish, big and small, died miserably, floating white-bellied on the vast ocean surface.

“Near the coast of Vinh Thai, there is a coral reef, which is the habitat and breeding ground for many types of aquatic products. In the past, Vinh Thai fishermen caught many types of lobsters, squid, groupers, and large-sized anchovies with high economic value. But in recent years, they are no longer available, and even small shrimp and fish are becoming scarce,” Mr. Thiem said indignantly.

Dong Luat village chief Ho Sy Duong said that he and many fishermen in the village saw foreign boats illegally fishing with electric shocks but were "powerless".

“I saw boats from Quang Ngai using electric fishing devices around 1-2 AM. The lights around their boats were blazing, and a few men dived into the sea, carrying electric stun guns. At those times, I tried calling the authorities and security forces on my phone, but to no avail; I could only stand and watch helplessly. If the police and border guards cooperated with the fishermen, we would be ready to assist in preventing and dealing with this destructive fishing practice,” Mr. Duong said.

A few kilometers away is the house of fisherman Nguyen Huu Su (40 years old) in Tan Mach village. Mr. Su owns a 12 HP wooden boat, used for squid fishing, reef fish fishing, and shrimp trawling. According to Mr. Su, in recent years, there have been 2-3 fishing boats from Quang Ngai province operating at night in the waters off Vinh Thai commune, using electric shock fishing methods.

“I specialize in fishing on coral reefs. Previously, Vinh Thai waters had many large groupers, anchovies, and squid. However, in the past 3-4 years, they have disappeared. Therefore, many fishermen in the village have gradually given up fishing because of fuel losses,” said Mr. Su.

Tan Mach village chief Ngo Tat Huu said that for about 10 years now, many boats with Quang Ngai province license plates have regularly come to fish in the waters near Vinh Thai coast using electric shock.

“In recent years, the entire village's seafood catch has decreased significantly compared to before. Fish species living in coral reefs such as grouper, snapper, and squid have also declined considerably. If not addressed promptly, the livelihoods of fishermen in Vinh Thai and our future generations will be affected. We have repeatedly reported and petitioned the authorities at all levels, but this situation continues to occur regularly,” Mr. Huu said.

Fishermen lost their fishing gear.

Fishermen in Vinh Thai commune also expressed their frustration at the fact that fishing boats from Khanh Hoa province, using purse seine nets in nearshore waters, are damaging and destroying their fishing gear. Fisherman Le Van Thiem recounted that his family's main source of income is squid fishing using traps. However, in recent years, many fishing boats from Khanh Hoa province using purse seine nets have damaged his nets and traps. "I've lost 12 traps, one fishing line, and two anchors, a loss of over 5 million dong. Replacing them now would take a lot of time and effort," Thiem said.

According to Dong Luat village head Ho Sy Duong, every time fishing boats from Khanh Hoa province cast their seine nets and drag them away, the squid traps of Vinh Thai fishermen are swept along. Ten boat owners in the village have lost their squid traps because of these boats. Some have lost as many as 20 traps, while others have lost as few as 10. This situation has been going on for about five years.

The same thing happened in Tan Mach village. Tan Mach village chief Nguyen Tat Huu shared: “From March to June this year, I lost 100 traps, not including ropes and anchors, causing a loss of more than 40 million VND. My uncle's son, Nguyen Tat Viet, lost 200 traps, causing a loss of more than 50 million VND. The purse seine fishing boats in Khanh Hoa province should have been operating in offshore fishing grounds because of their long length and strong capacity. They are fishing illegally in the nearshore waters.”

Prompt action is needed.

Chairman of Vinh Thai Commune People's Committee Nguyen Huu Truong said that the whole commune currently has about 200 boats with a total capacity of over 3,000 CV. Fishermen in the commune mainly practice near-shore fishing, such as: reef fishing, trawling, pounding shrimp, diving for lobsters and snails...

In recent years, many boats from other provinces and some local boats have been engaging in destructive fishing practices using electric shocks and explosives, leading to a decline in the marine ecosystem and directly impacting the livelihoods of local fishermen. According to Mr. Truong, preventing and addressing these illegal fishing activities remains challenging due to limited local resources and a lack of close and coordinated cooperation among agencies and units.

Talking to us, the Head of the Quang Tri Province Fisheries Department, Phan Huu Thang, said that according to regulations, fishing vessels using purse seine nets mainly operate in open and offshore waters, depending on the length of the vessel. As for fishing with electric pulses, this is an illegal act.

However, detection and handling face some difficulties because these fishing vessels mainly operate at night, and when they detect inspection forces, they quickly flee. Regarding the use of explosives for fishing, specific evidence and exhibits are needed for authorities to take action. In reality, by the time the authorities hear the explosion and arrive at the scene, the fishermen's vessels have already moved elsewhere and disposed of the evidence.

It is known that recently, although the authorities have implemented a number of measures to prevent and handle fishing by electric shock, explosives, and trawling, the results have not been high. Fishermen in Vinh Thai commune hope that the authorities at all levels and the responsible agencies and forces will actively coordinate, regularly patrol and inspect at sea to prevent and handle illegal fishing. From there, it will help fishermen feel secure in their lives and production.

Tran Tuyen

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/can-ngan-chan-xu-ly-hanh-vi-danh-bat-thuy-san-bang-xung-dien-thuoc-no-188083.htm