Strengthening propaganda and inspection work on combating IUU fishing

Quang Tri Border Guard forces inspect offshore fishing boats docking at the port - Photo: TCL

Implementing Decision No. 81/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister , Quang Tri province has focused on implementing immediate and long-term tasks on combating IUU fishing. Functional sectors have strengthened inspection work to remind fishermen to comply with regulations on combating IUU fishing. The Department has established a comprehensive inspection team on seafood exploitation management as well as fisheries inspection and control to review control procedures.

The inspection of the situation of combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing at fishing ports in the province mainly focuses on the following contents: inspection of the procedures for collecting fishing logs, purchasing logs, and transporting aquatic products; monitoring the process of controlling fishing vessels entering and leaving ports; the process of monitoring the volume of aquatic products loaded and unloaded through ports; inspection of the management and storage of records, information, and data on fishing vessels and coordination between the Quang Tri Fishing Port Management Board and the Office of Fisheries Inspection, Control, and Supervision, border guards and relevant agencies and units in performing their duties.

The results of inspections over the years show that state management agencies and fishermen in the province have complied well with legal regulations in the fight against IUU fishing. However, to ensure that illegal fishing does not occur, inspections must be conducted regularly and continuously to ensure that fishermen do not violate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

In addition to focusing on inspecting fishermen's compliance with the law in seafood exploitation, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has strengthened propaganda to raise awareness among fishermen, voluntarily comply with the law, and avoid the situation where when there is an inspection, they strictly comply, but after the inspection, "everything goes back to normal". The department has implemented various forms of propaganda, training, and dissemination to fishermen and related organizations and individuals about regulations on combating IUU fishing.

At the same time, mobilize the local political system to join hands in propagating and mobilizing fishermen to implement. Develop communication programs on mass media, organize direct propaganda sessions on the harmful effects of unreported and unregulated fishing to all fishermen.

The propaganda targets not only fishermen directly involved in production at sea but also all classes of people to raise awareness among ship owners, captains, production and trading establishments of aquatic products from fishing activities about the fight against IUU fishing.

The propaganda content focuses on regulations on 1 hour notice when fishing vessels arrive at designated ports, fishing vessels with a length of 15 m or more must arrive at designated ports to unload products; not turning off or disabling voyage monitoring equipment; not violating foreign waters to exploit aquatic resources, exploiting aquatic resources in accordance with the regulations of the granted license...

Vessels submit their fishing logbooks to the fishing port management organization before unloading fish. Fishing logbooks are recorded in paper copies signed by the captain or electronic logbooks with identification codes for each fishing vessel installed by the equipment supplier and automatically updated with the yearly change order number; submit fishing reports to the fishing port management organization periodically once a week.

For post-fishing vessels, the captain of the vessel purchasing and transporting aquatic products must daily record the purchasing and transporting aquatic products according to the prescribed form; submit the purchasing and transporting aquatic products log to the fishing port management organization before unloading aquatic products.

The logbook of purchasing and transporting aquatic products is recorded in paper form with the captain's signature or in an electronic logbook with an identification code for each fishing vessel installed by the equipment supplier and the voyage number in the year is automatically updated. The fishing port management organization must issue logbook and fishing report forms to organizations and individuals with fishing vessels; collect logbooks and fishing reports; and make a list of fishing vessels that have submitted logbooks and fishing reports to the Department of Agriculture and Environment every month.

Ship owners and captains are responsible for printing, recording and submitting logbooks and reports on fishing operations according to regulations. At the same time, notify the fishing port management organization before the ship arrives at or leaves the port according to regulations; provide information about the fishing vessel, service requirements, and expected seafood output to be loaded and unloaded through the port.

Strengthening propaganda and inspection of the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing must be carried out regularly and continuously, helping fishermen not to neglect this task, to join hands with local authorities and competent agencies to strictly implement regulations on combating IUU fishing in the province, together with the whole country to enhance the position, image and international responsibility of Vietnam in implementing international commitments and treaties on protecting sustainable marine ecosystems.

Tran Cat Linh

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/tang-cuong-cong-tac-tuyen-truyen-va-kiem-tra-ve-chong-khai-thac-iuu-193812.htm