Working group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development inspects and monitors IUU in Binh Thuan

BTO - This morning (May 29), a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a working session at Phan Thiet Fishing Port to discuss the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, in preparation for the 5th working session with the European Commission (EC) Inspection Team.

At Phan Thiet fishing port, the working group from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development inspected archived records and the procedures for monitoring IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing at the port. The group focused on checking the traceability of seafood through vessel tracking devices, monitoring fishing vessels entering and leaving the port, and the handling of fishing vessels violating IUU regulations.

A delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development inspects IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing activities in Binh Thuan.

In addition, the delegation also worked with the Provincial Fisheries Control Representative Board to check the coordination in monitoring catch volumes at ports, the requirement for fishing vessels to notify the port one hour in advance before docking; how fishing vessels on the IUU list are handled; coordination in cross-referencing VMS data, and the collection and submission of fishing logs, etc.

The working group from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development inspected records at the Phan Thiet Fishing Port Management Office.

Reportedly, in the first five months of 2024, the province recorded 6,080 vessel arrivals and 6,552 vessel departures; monitored 10,259 tons of seafood unloaded at ports; collected 2,750 fishing logbooks from 4,279 vessels unloading products (reaching 64.2%); issued 15 confirmation certificates for 159.9 tons of seafood; and 32 certificates for 349 tons of seafood raw materials. All seafood shipments that received confirmation and certification have been cleared through customs so far, with no cases of unresolved issues or rejections.

Review archived records and procedures for implementing IUU monitoring measures at the port.

After working at Phan Thiet fishing port, the delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture continued its inspection of the Provincial Fishing Vessel Monitoring Center located at the Fisheries Sub-Department. There, the delegation also checked related administrative procedures, operational processes, and monitoring of fishing vessels through the VMS system; methods of penalizing fishing vessels found violating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing regulations; and methods of managing high-risk fishing vessels exceeding permitted limits.

The inspection team reviewed administrative procedures related to IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing at the Provincial Fisheries Vessel Monitoring Center.

According to the Fisheries Sub-Department, as of May 28, 2024, all 1942 fishing vessels operating in the province have installed VMS equipment, achieving a 100% rate. Alongside the deployment of VMS equipment on fishing vessels, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed the construction of a data center and data stations for monitoring fishing vessels within the province's fishing vessel monitoring system.

From October 2023 to the present, Binh Thuan province has had 43 fishing vessels that lost connection for 10 days without returning to shore as required. The Fisheries Sub-Department has verified and handled 24 cases, while the remaining 19 vessels are still being verified and processed according to regulations. According to the Fishing Vessel Monitoring Center, Binh Thuan province has 204 cases of vessels losing connection for more than 6 months per year.

Through review, inspection, and verification, it was found that 177 fishing vessels lost connection while ashore and ceased using the service, and 27 vessels lost connection at sea but had returned to shore 10 days prior...

From the beginning of 2023 to the present, Binh Thuan province has recorded 23 instances of fishing vessels crossing the border illegally, with 22 of these incidents occurring in 2023 alone. The Fisheries Sub-Department has promptly coordinated with local authorities and border guards to work with the vessel owners, requesting the captains to return the vessels to Vietnamese waters, and simultaneously drawing up reports for processing according to regulations…

Reportedly, on the afternoon of May 28th, the delegation worked at La Gi fishing port. According to the plan, this afternoon, the working group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, led by Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, will hold a meeting with the Provincial People's Committee on the work of combating IUU fishing.

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