Prime Minister: Fighting IUU fishing while developing sustainable fisheries

On the evening of December 9, speaking at the 25th meeting of the National Steering Committee on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ministries, branches and localities to carry out the dual goal of combating IUU fishing and developing sustainable fisheries; ensuring the prestige, honor and interests of the country, nation and people and for the benefit of the people.

The meeting was held online at the Government Headquarters, online with the 21 coastal provinces and cities. Also attending the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha; leaders of ministries, branches, central agencies and leaders of 21 coastal provinces and cities.

Under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, at the meeting, the Steering Committee focused on reviewing the situation of combating IUU fishing, especially the contents recommended by the European Commission (EC); developing a report according to the recommendations to send to the EC; the situation of Vietnam's fisheries cooperation with countries in the region. In particular, implementing tasks and solutions for sustainable fisheries development, for the national and ethnic interests and the interests of fishermen themselves.

According to the Steering Committee, last week, members of the Steering Committee, ministries and branches continued to organize inter-sectoral working groups to inspect and combat IUU fishing in localities; completed the digitization of the entire database system for managing fishing vessel activities, connecting, integrating, multi-purpose and meeting the criteria of "correct, sufficient, clean, and alive."

The databases for managing fishing vessel information; monitoring and controlling fishing vessel activities at sea through voyage monitoring devices (VMS) have regulations for exploiting, using and operating data; relevant agencies, organizations and individuals are only granted user accounts according to regulations.

The authorities strictly control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports; ensure that unqualified fishing vessels are not allowed to participate in activities; implement the Regulation on coordination between the authorities to inspect and control fishing vessel activities; monitor the output of aquatic products unloaded through ports according to regulations; continue to issue policies on job conversion and dismantling of fishing vessels.

The total number of fishing vessels currently registered and updated on Vnfishbase is 79,180, reaching 100%. During the week, 2,901 fishing vessels leaving the port and 2,708 fishing vessels arriving at the port were inspected and controlled according to regulations, and the output of aquatic products exploited through the port was 1,845 tons on the eCDT system. Handling of fishing vessels that previously violated the law was strictly implemented.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the need for “high determination, great efforts, drastic actions, doing things right, and ending things right”; achieving the dual goal of both ending IUU fishing violations and restructuring and developing the sustainable fisheries industry, including restructuring the fleet and workforce towards legal fishing, strengthening fisheries cooperation with other countries, increasing aquaculture, reducing fishing; creating livelihoods, ensuring the material and spiritual lives of the people.

The Prime Minister requested ministries, branches, agencies and localities, based on their functions, tasks and powers, to review the contents warned and recommended by the EC; the reported data must be accurate and complete. On that basis, synthesize the data, review which contents have been implemented well, need to be maintained and promoted, which contents have not been done well, have difficulties, limitations and the next tasks and solutions.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the 25th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ministries and branches to coordinate in developing accurate, complete and comprehensive reports that meet the EC's requirements. On that basis, directly and sincerely exchange information and data with the EC to unify information and data between the two sides, in order to have a comprehensive and accurate view of the situation of combating IUU fishing in Vietnam.

Emphasizing that ministries, branches, agencies, especially localities, must identify combating IUU fishing as an important task at present, thus focusing on implementing solutions and resolutely ending IUU fishing this year, the Prime Minister called on people to get involved for their own benefit; and associations to get involved, especially in controlling the origin of goods.

Requesting ministries, branches and agencies to continue strictly implementing the conclusions, directives and dispatches of the Secretariat, the Government and the Prime Minister on combating IUU fishing, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reminded that if any locality does not grasp the situation and cannot manage the fishing fleet, collective and individual responsibility must be assigned and strict handling must be carried out according to Party regulations and State laws.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, to develop an outline, guide and coordinate with ministries, agencies and localities to develop a project on sustainable fisheries development, including fishing, farming and processing.

The Ministry of National Defense shall preside over and coordinate with localities to continue to effectively implement the Inter-sectoral Coordination Regulation on combating IUU fishing; carry out peak patrols and controls in the waters bordering Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.; control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, strictly handle fishing vessels that are not qualified to participate in activities; guide ship owners and captains to carry out procedures for declaring fishing vessels and fishermen entering and leaving ports on VNeID.

The Ministry of Public Security directs local police to thoroughly handle cases of fishing vessels and fishermen being arrested by foreign countries and brokerage lines that send fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally exploit abroad; directs local police to thoroughly investigate and thoroughly handle organizations and individuals violating the law related to swordfish shipments of enterprises in Khanh Hoa province exported to the European market in 2021-2022.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urgently works with countries to unify information on the number of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen arrested from 2024 to present with unknown information; provide a list of fishing vessels and fishermen arrested by foreign countries and returned to foreign countries from 2024 to present to thoroughly handle outstanding cases and brokerage lines sending fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally exploit abroad.

The People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities must proactively grasp the situation, focus on leading and directing drastic, comprehensive and effective measures to combat IUU fishing in the area, absolutely not allowing violations and negativity to affect the common efforts to remove the EC's "yellow card" warning; handle administrative violations and criminally handle cases of fishing vessels violating the law; maintain strict control of all fishing vessels entering and leaving ports according to regulations; resolutely not allow unqualified or unregistered fishing vessels to participate in activities.

Localities must update weekly the list of fishing vessels at high risk of violating IUU fishing regulations; regularly update information to specialized fisheries databases, ensure "correct, sufficient, clean, and live" data, interconnect and match data between relevant agencies and functional forces; and evaluate the operation of the VnFishbase software.

Associations and enterprises continue to strictly comply with not purchasing, processing, or exporting aquatic products originating from IUU fishing; proactively and closely coordinate with competent authorities in investigating, verifying, and strictly and thoroughly handling organizations, individuals, and aquatic product enterprises that conduct illegal business, assist, or condone IUU behavior.

Media agencies continue to increase information and recommendations; reflect the efforts of localities and the results of combating IUU fishing; at the same time, criticize intentional violations, affecting Vietnam's reputation and the sustainable development of the fisheries industry. The Government Inspectorate will step in to inspect and examine to strictly handle violations in IUU fishing./.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/thu-tuong-vua-chong-khai-thac-iuu-vua-phat-trien-nghe-ca-ben-vung-post1082039.vnp