The Navy promptly prevented nearly 300 fishing boats intending to cross the border.

On the morning of January 15, in Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province, the Navy held a conference to review the work of combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2024 and deploy directions and tasks for 2025. Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung, Deputy Commander of the Navy, chaired the conference.

The summary report presented by Colonel Vu Dinh Hien, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy at the conference emphasized: In 2024, agencies and units in the Navy thoroughly grasped and strictly implemented the resolutions and directives of the superiors on combating IUU fishing. Notably, strictly maintaining forces, means, and on-duty systems at all levels; organizing patrols and strictly controlling fishing vessels operating in border waters; proactively building and adjusting plans, strengthening forces to carry out anti-IUU fishing tasks in the field during peak times; at the same time, firmly grasping the situation, promptly advising, proposing, and effectively handling situations, avoiding being passive and surprised.

Colonel Vu Dinh Hien reported on the implementation of the anti-IUU fishing mission of the Navy.

During the year, agencies and units held over 200 propaganda sessions for nearly 21,500 people in coastal areas, especially in the provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Binh Thuan, Bac Lieu ... directly propagandizing to nearly 15,300 fishing boats, donating nearly 1,000 life jackets, over 3,000 national flags, supporting over ^{200m3 of} fresh water, nearly 2 tons of rice, providing free medical examinations and medicine to over 4,200 people... The scope of propaganda was widely deployed on local media, on land and all sea routes, including offshore and in bordering waters on the task of combating IUU fishing.

Delegates attending the conference.

The service regularly maintains 27 patrol boats in the sea areas, thereby administratively inspecting 1,280 fishing boats operating in the border waters; promptly preventing 278 fishing boats intending to cross the border to foreign waters; making records of 135 fishing boats violating regulations without sufficient documents, without seafood exploitation logs... closely monitoring the activities of fishing boats through the system of managing and monitoring the journey and activities of fishing boats in the sea areas (VMS), promptly directing targets for ships in the field to check and verify.

The units have coordinated with affiliated forces and localities to verify the fishing vessel incident, the identity of fishermen violating foreign waters and activities against IUU fishing; coordinated and called on 159 ships operating close to the maritime boundary with Malaysia and Indonesia to return to Vietnam's waters for exploitation...

Colonel Hoang Quoc Hoan, Deputy Political Commissar of Naval Region 5, visited and encouraged fishermen of Tam Giang Dong commune and presented the locality with 300 national flags.

Implementing the program "Vietnam Navy as a support for fishermen to go offshore and stick to the sea", the ships tasked with combating IUU fishing of the units in the Service always play a core role in preventing and combating natural disasters, and conducting rescue operations at sea and islands. During the year, the units participated in 110 search and rescue missions, rescuing 208 fishermen who were sick or had work-related accidents, and 19 fishing boats in distress at sea. Thereby, creating a reliable support for fishermen to confidently go offshore and stick to the sea, contributing to the management and firm protection of the sovereignty of the sea, islands, and sacred continental shelf of the Fatherland.

Speaking at the conference, Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung acknowledged and commended the results and achievements of agencies and units in carrying out the task of combating IUU fishing. In order to effectively carry out the task of combating IUU fishing, to put an end to the situation of fishing vessels violating foreign waters, and to remove the "Yellow Card" warning of the European Commission (EC) as soon as possible, the Deputy Commander of the Navy requested: Agencies and units need to innovate the content, form, and methods of propaganda to raise awareness and responsibility for fishermen in exploiting seafood at sea, not violating foreign waters.

Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung speaks.

Units strictly maintain equipment and on-duty systems at all levels. Coordinate with forces of the Border Guard, Coast Guard, and Fisheries Surveillance to organize patrols and strictly control sea areas bordering other countries. Maintain the effective operation of joint command posts at all levels; closely monitor fishing vessels on VMS equipment; resolutely chase away foreign fishing vessels, not allowing the creation of "black spots" and "traditional fishing" areas; at the same time, strengthen defense diplomacy, joint patrols, exchange information with functional forces of other countries, promptly coordinate to harmoniously and satisfactorily handle cases of fishermen violating sovereignty at sea...

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/luc-luong-hai-quan-ngan-chan-kip-thoi-gan-300-tau-ca-co-y-dinh-vuot-hanh-gioi-209499.html