Since March 2024, Thanh Hoa province has implemented a month-long campaign to address urgent issues related to combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing. The focus has been on effectively managing the fishing fleet, maintaining the connectivity of vessel tracking systems (VMS), and managing seafood catches at ports. In addition to patrolling and monitoring fishing activities in fishing grounds, authorities have also established inter-agency teams to coordinate with local authorities, going door-to-door to educate and raise awareness among fishermen, with the determination to promptly address the recommendations of the European Commission (EC).
The working group from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development conducted awareness campaigns on IUU fishing directly on fishermen's boats.
While fishing in the Gulf of Tonkin, Mr. Pham Ngoc Tam's fishing vessel, numbered TH – 91434 - TS, residing in Quang Tien ward (Sam Son city), failed to maintain its vessel monitoring system (VMS) signal and frequently disconnected from the shore station. The frequent loss of the VMS signal from the purse seine vessel TH - 91434 - TS has been monitored and assessed as serious by the authorities.
Officers and soldiers of the Sam Son Border Guard Station visited local residents to encourage them to sign commitments to comply with legal regulations on IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing.
Therefore, the working group of the Thanh Hoa Fishing Port Management Board, functional forces, and the People's Committee of Quang Tien ward contacted and visited the family of the boat owner, Pham Ngoc Tam, to inform them. At the same time, they educated the boat owner's relatives and family about the fact that the loss of signal connection from the vessel monitoring system (VMS) is a violation of Article 35 of Decree 42/2019/ND-CP on handling violations of communication equipment and VMS on fishing vessels, and regulations against IUU fishing. Only upon receiving notification from their family did the fishermen on board realize their boat had lost connection for several days. After returning to shore, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tam's boat was fined tens of millions of dong by the authorities for failing to maintain the monitoring signal during fishing at sea.
The province is paying close attention to the review and inspection of mining logs.
Not only Mr. Tam's boat, but in 2023, 34 boats in Sam Son City had their GPS tracking devices off for more than 6 months, and 41 boats lost connection for 10 days. In the early days of 2024, there were 3 cases of GPS tracking device disconnection for more than 10 days. These figures have raised alarms for the local anti-IUU fishing efforts. Therefore, in addition to regularly broadcasting announcements twice a day about violations and suspected violations of anti-IUU fishing regulations, the anti-IUU fishing propaganda team, consisting of Border Guard soldiers from Sam Son Border Guard Station, fisheries officials, and leaders of the People's Committees of the wards in Sam Son City, has been going door-to-door to talk about fishing regulations at sea and distributing anti-IUU fishing propaganda materials to local fishermen.
Fishermen in Ngu Loc commune (Hau Loc district) are being educated about the Fisheries Law and regulations on IUU fishing.
As the province's journey to remove the IUU "yellow card" is reaching a critical stage, 100% of coastal localities and fishing ports are simultaneously and decisively implementing awareness campaigns against IUU fishing. In the early days of the year, as fishing vessels were rushing to prepare for their voyages, officials from the Thanh Hoa Fishing Port Management Board met with fishermen, captains, and crew members to disseminate information and guide them on legal regulations regarding fisheries exploitation, especially combating IUU fishing.
Mr. Tran Van Duc, Head of the Lach Bang Fisheries Station and Head of the Lach Bang Fisheries Inspection and Control Team under the Thanh Hoa Fishing Port Management Board, shared: "Because captains and crew members often fish at sea for extended periods, only returning to land during the Lunar New Year and a few short times, we have to take advantage of opportunities to meet with them to disseminate information and encourage fishermen. Through various approaches, each officer at the port has become a communicator, conveying messages and legal regulations on combating IUU fishing to captains, ship owners, and their family members."
Furthermore, in accordance with EC recommendations, the Fisheries Control Representative Offices at the three designated ports of Lach Bang, Lach Hoi, and Hoa Loc have strengthened 100% inspection of fishing vessels departing from ports; inspected arrivals, unloading of fish, and collection of fishing logs and reports. In addition to disseminating information to fishing communities about IUU regulations, local authorities in coastal areas, in coordination with relevant agencies, have implemented a program requiring all owners and captains of offshore fishing vessels to sign commitments not to violate foreign waters. Simultaneously, localities have compiled lists of high-risk fishing vessels that frequently operate outside their provinces for special management and monitoring.
Members of the Lach Hoi Fisheries Control Representative Office (Sam Son City) organized a signing ceremony for boat owners to commit to not violating IUU fishing regulations.
Thanks to the encouragement and guidance of relevant authorities, all fishing vessel owners in the province now strictly comply with regulations on combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing, such as: fishing vessels under 6m must be registered in the fishing vessel register of the commune/ward; fishing vessels 6m and above must have complete fishing vessel registration papers, fishing licenses, and crew lists; fishing vessels 12m and above must be inspected; and vessels 15m and above must be equipped with vessel monitoring systems. 100% of fishing vessels must notify the authorities at least one hour before arriving at or departing from port. Vessels must operate within their registered fishing activities and designated areas as specified in their licenses, and must not use explosives or electric shock devices for fishing; they must also record and submit fishing logs.
Border guards and fisheries inspectors are disseminating information and encouraging fishermen to fish in designated areas according to their granted licenses.
Effective management of the fishing fleet is not a short-term task but a long-term endeavor. Along with the seriousness and responsibility of the authorities, the awareness and participation of fishermen are crucial. Certainly, many fishermen and boat owners do not fully understand and comply with the regulations against IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing. In the first three months of 2024, the province still had 48 fishing vessels that had lost connection with their vessel monitoring systems for more than 10 days; 394 vessels with expired registration; 46 vessels without fishing licenses; and 70 vessels lacking the "three no's" (no registration, no permits ...
From the beginning of 2024 to the present, the Sam Son Border Guard Station has organized two mobile teams to participate in propaganda activities at boat mooring areas, visiting individual fishermen's homes, and encouraging 350 vessels to sign commitments to comply with regulations on fisheries exploitation. They have also advised on the development of propaganda outlines, resulting in over 60 hours of broadcasts on the public address systems of Sam Son City and Quang Xuong District, and 200 hours in communes and wards. The unit has also distributed over 300 leaflets and brochures promoting the fight against illegal fishing to fishermen, boat owners, and their families. Simultaneously, they have coordinated with the Thanh Hoa Fisheries Sub-Department to conduct 24 patrols/270 vessels at sea and at the Lach Hoi estuary, and independently patrolled and inspected 204 vessels/1,130 workers... |
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