[Update] - Thanh Hoa: Assessment of the implementation of the task of combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU)

On the morning of September 10, the Provincial Party Standing Committee held a conference to assess the implementation of the task of combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the province.

Delegates attending the conference.

Attending the conference were comrades: Lai The Nguyen, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; comrades of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee: Pham Thi Thanh Thuy, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Commission, Chairwoman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee; Major General Tran Phu Ha, Director of the Provincial Police; comrade Le Duc Giang, Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of leaders of provincial departments, agencies, and mass organizations; members of the Provincial Steering Committee on anti-IUU work; representatives of leaders of districts, towns, cities and coastal border stations.

Comrades: Lai The Nguyen, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Pham Thi Thanh Thuy, Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Commission, Chairwoman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee attended the conference.

Synchronously and resolutely implement solutions to combat IUU fishing

Implementing the direction of the Standing Secretariat, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on combating IUU fishing, Thanh Hoa province has synchronously and drastically implemented solutions to combat IUU fishing; The Standing Committee of Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 1649-CV/TU dated April 13, 2020 on strengthening leadership and direction to effectively implement the work of preventing and combating IUU fishing; Plan No. 215-KH/TU dated July 29, 2024 of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee on implementing Directive No. 32-CT/TW of the Central Party Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and sustainable development of the fisheries sector.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Giang delivered the opening speech at the conference.

The Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 21/2021/NQ-HDND on promulgating mechanisms and policies to support the purchase of voyage monitoring equipment and subscription fees for voyage monitoring equipment services for owners of fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more in the province. The Provincial People's Committee issued 1 Directive, 1 Official Dispatch, 10 Plans, 58 guiding documents on combating IUU fishing; established a Steering Committee and a Working Group to assist the Steering Committee on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Thanh Hoa province...

Delegates attending the conference.

Departments, branches, sectors and People's Committees of coastal districts, towns and cities have stepped up propaganda and training on legal regulations on exploitation, resource protection, aquaculture and combating IUU fishing. The authorities have increased patrols and controls at sea, inlets, beaches and fishing ports, resolutely not allowing fishing vessels to operate at sea without sufficient procedures, documents and equipment as prescribed, and handling fishing vessels that violate regulations on combating IUU fishing.

Delegates attending the conference.

Fishing vessel owners, captains and fishermen have basically complied with regulations on exploitation and protection of aquatic resources, aware of the harmful effects of IUU fishing, causing economic losses and affecting national interests; installed voyage monitoring equipment on 100% of all participating vessels; fishing ports have gradually overcome the limitations pointed out in inspections by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Delegates attending the conference.

Since the beginning of 2024, the functional forces in the province have concentrated their forces, established patrol teams, inspected and controlled at sea, at estuaries, at fishing ports and detected incidents through the fishing vessel monitoring system. As a result, 105 violations were detected and recorded, with a total fine of over 1 billion 136 million VND...

Delegates attending the conference.

In addition to the achieved results, there are still shortcomings and limitations: Handling of IUU fishing violations is still low, many fishing vessels have lost connection to monitor their journeys at sea for 10 days and have not been handled, many units have assigned handling but have not had results. There is still a situation where fishing vessels that do not meet the conditions still enter and exit ports, enter and exit ports to participate in fishing activities; the situation where fishing vessels do not dock at ports to unload exploited aquatic products but unload at spontaneous fishing ports such as: De canal (Hau Loc); Bang river in Hai Binh ward (Nghi Son town).

Delegates speak at the conference.

Some ship owners arbitrarily convert their machines and trades to prohibited or restricted trades (trawling) to go fishing, leading to the inability to register and get licenses according to regulations. The infrastructure of fishing ports and storm shelters for fishing vessels has not been upgraded in a timely manner, is not synchronized, and does not meet the EC's requirements on traceability of exploited aquatic products and combating IUU fishing...

Thanh Hoa Electronic Newspaper continues to update...

Quoc Huong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/cap-nhat-thanh-hoa-danh-gia-tinh-hinh-thuc-hien-nhiem-vu-chong-khai-thiac-hai-san-bat-hap-phap-khong-bao-cao-va-khong-theo-quy-dinh-iuu-224376.htm