Earlier, on the afternoon of October 16th, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha visited and encouraged fishing boat owners and fishermen at Song Doc fishing port (Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district, Ca Mau province), as well as assessing the situation regarding compliance with regulations on combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized that lifting the IUU "yellow card" will help Vietnam's fisheries sector develop sustainably, participate proactively in integration, and avoid technical and trade barriers when exporting to major markets such as Europe.
The issues raised by the IUU "yellow card" include shortcomings and problems in the legal system, management practices, fishermen's awareness, and the depletion of fishing grounds' stocks.
Local leaders need to be frank, honest, scientific , and open-minded in order to accurately assess and find the reasons why, after 7 years, the IUU "yellow card" has not been lifted, and why the risk of increasingly sophisticated and even transnational violations remains.
"We need a comprehensive solution not only to lift the 'yellow card,' but also to improve the efficiency of exploitation while protecting and developing marine resources in fishing grounds," the Deputy Prime Minister said, emphasizing that allowing fishermen to continue going out to sea while fishing grounds are depleted will not effectively address IUU violations.
Therefore, the role of the State is crucial in planning, assessing the reserves of fishing grounds, determining fishing seasons and areas for the year, and the corresponding number of fishing vessels allowed to operate. This allows for the development of mechanisms and policies to guide and support fishermen in investing in production or changing occupations.
"Ministries, sectors, and localities must approach issues realistically, and what they say must be done. The proposed measures need to be clear, transparent, systematic, and scientifically-based, drawing on practical experience; identifying what localities can do and what issues require central government support in terms of resources, mechanisms, and policies," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Some anti-violation tasks are being addressed slowly.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien, in addition to the achievements, some tasks in combating IUU violations are still slow to be addressed.
Specifically, the situation of fishing vessels violating regulations on illegal fishing in foreign waters continues to be complex. From the beginning of 2024 to the present, 61 vessels/418 fishermen have been arrested and prosecuted by foreign countries, an increase of 12 vessels/16 fishermen compared to the same period in 2023 (49 vessels/402 fishermen). Domestic authorities have detected, arrested, and prosecuted 19 vessels for illegal fishing in foreign waters.
Illegal fishing practices by fishing vessels are becoming increasingly sophisticated, such as: using fishing vessels under 15 meters in length without VMS equipment; intentionally disabling VMS when operating near border waters; or intentionally sending or transporting VMS equipment on other fishing vessels.
The implementation of regulations on registration and licensing of fisheries exploitation is still incomplete, with only 89% of fishing vessels registered and updated in the national fisheries database; and only about 74.1% of valid fishing licenses have been issued.
Currently, there are 9,322 "three-no" vessels nationwide (no registration, no inspection, no licensing). The buying, selling, and transfer of ownership of fishing vessels without completing the procedures for deregistration and re-registration within and between provinces still occurs frequently.
Currently, only about 40% of fishing vessel activities entering and leaving ports are monitored nationwide, and about 30% of harvested seafood production is monitored through ports; some localities monitor less than 5% of harvested seafood production, such as Quang Binh, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Nghe An…
The situation of fishing vessels violating regulations by operating outside designated zones occurs frequently and in large numbers; especially in northern provinces such as Thai Binh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh… and provinces with a large number of trawling vessels, such as Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Binh Thuan, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau…
The situation persists where fishing vessels that do not meet the requirements are still entering and leaving ports and participating in fishing activities; the situation of fishing vessels not docking to unload harvested seafood products continues to occur in many localities.
Law enforcement and handling of IUU violations remain very low, inconsistent, and uneven across localities; in some localities, strict enforcement leads to fishing vessels suspected of IUU violations moving to areas lacking strict control and supervision by authorities to dock, unload seafood, and operate fishing activities.
The rate of penalties imposed remains very low compared to the total number of violations detected, especially regarding illegal fishing, violations related to VMS equipment, crossing maritime boundaries, fishing outside designated areas, and violations of fishing logs…
Delegates shared experiences and proposed immediate actions to combat IUU violations - Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi
Take decisive action against vessels lacking proper documentation (e.g., vessels with three deficiencies), and strictly manage vessels under 15 meters.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recommends focusing resources on preventing and ending the situation of fishing vessels violating regulations on illegal fishing in foreign waters, especially in the provinces of Kien Giang, Ca Mau, and Binh Dinh…
Local authorities are urgently completing the management of fishing fleets, registration, inspection, issuance of fishing licenses, marking of fishing vessels, and decisively addressing the issue of "three-no" fishing vessels (no proper documentation, no permits ...
At the meeting, delegates shared experiences and proposed immediate actions: clearly defining responsibilities in managing the operations of fishing vessels in fishing ports and at sea; supporting ship owners in purchasing VMS equipment; managing the quality of VMS equipment; and addressing vessels operating outside designated fishing zones or routes.
Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Giang province, Nguyen Van Vinh, said that the criminal prosecution of some IUU violations has had a significant impact on the awareness and thinking of ship owners and fishermen. However, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ca Mau province, Le Van Su, proposed adding some specific fishing methods such as squid fishing and tuna fishing to the list of those requiring the installation of VMS (Vehicle Monitoring System) even if the vessel size is not yet 15 meters as stipulated.
Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province, Nguyen Tuan Thanh, proposed strict management of fishing vessels under 15 meters in length, excluding the need to install VMS equipment; and the establishment of a specialized unit to support and provide information on fishing vessels seized in foreign waters, so that local authorities have a basis for handling cases domestically.
Regarding the management of fishing vessels with "three no's" (no violations, no permits, no licenses, no permits ...
Representatives from the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the fisheries inspection force, and the Border Guard of Ca Mau province exchanged views and clarified several local requests, such as providing information on fishing vessels seized abroad; managing fishing vessel operations at sea; controlling fishing vessels entering and leaving ports; and prosecuting IUU violations.
Lieutenant General Pham Truong Son, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, stated that the most important thing is to strictly manage fishing vessels right at the port. Local authorities, the military, and the police must form a unified force, with clear and specific assignments for each functional force, from propaganda to control and monitoring fishing vessel activities and handling violations, according to the principle of "one person is responsible for one task."
Implement urgent tasks and solutions immediately.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested that leaders of ministries, sectors, and localities unify their understanding that implementing measures to remove the IUU "yellow card" is not only for participating in the European market, but also for developing a sustainable fisheries sector, ensuring long-term benefits and livelihoods, guaranteeing the safety of lives and property for fishermen, and simultaneously implementing the Party and State's major policy on developing the marine economy in conjunction with protecting the country's maritime sovereignty.
The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out several major shortcomings and problems, such as: Inability to fully control all fishing vessels, especially those lacking proper documentation (e.g., "three no's" or "three no's"); unclear responsibilities of functional forces in managing fishing vessel operations from river mouths to fishing ports and at sea; regulations on managing and handling violations by fishing vessels and vessel owners, and the implementation process, are not closely aligned with reality; and unclear responsibilities of equipment and service providers, as well as vessel owners, regarding the installation and use of VMS equipment.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested that ministries, sectors, and localities seriously review and thoroughly implement Directive No. 32-CT/TW on strengthening the Party's leadership over the fight against IUU fishing and the sustainable development of the fisheries sector; review responsibilities and methods of leadership and direction in implementation, "considering this a priority political task".
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development clarifies the existing shortcomings, weaknesses, causes, tasks, and urgent immediate solutions to address illegal and unreported fishing in foreign waters.
By November 2024, localities must complete the registration and management of 100% of fishing vessels in their areas, ensuring that no fishing vessels with "three no's" (no registration, no legal documents, no permits ...
The Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are coordinating and urgently connecting and sharing databases on registered fishing vessels among localities and functional forces (border guards, fisheries inspectors, coast guard, navy), integrating them with the national database on population, as well as the activities of all fishing vessels at sea.
The Deputy Prime Minister also commented on the coordinating role of the fisheries inspection force in managing fishing vessels operating at sea; reviewing sanctions to strictly handle IUU violations, especially the responsibilities of ship owners and captains, "practically, reasonably, fairly, clearly, and transparently to both deter and prevent"...
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is reviewing administrative procedures for inspecting equipment and fishing vessels, with the aim of being "feasible, practical, scientific, and ensuring safety"; researching and proposing mechanisms and policies to support ship owners in purchasing and installing VMS equipment; establishing sanctions for intentionally cutting off signals or sending/transporting VMS equipment on other fishing vessels as an infringement of public property; and providing VMS equipment repair services at sea.
The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Fisheries Surveillance Department to develop a high-intensity campaign in coordination with law enforcement forces to control all fishing vessels that lack registration numbers and those whose registration numbers have been erased.
The Ministry of Public Security has directed local police forces to coordinate with the agricultural sector and commune/ward authorities to review unregistered and uninspected fishing vessels and update their databases.
Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/thong-nhat-nhan-thuc-hanh-dong-quyet-liet-trong-go-the-vang-iuu-381748.html
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