Effective implementation of anti-IUU fishing work

On the afternoon of October 28, comrade Trinh Minh Hoang - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) of Khanh Hoa province chaired a meeting of the provincial IUU Steering Committee. At the meeting, comrade Trinh Minh Hoang requested localities and units to focus on implementing a number of key contents on managing and monitoring fishing vessels and controlling the output of seafood exploited through ports.

Complete multiple missions

After 8 years of implementing anti-IUU fishing after the European Commission (EC) issued a "yellow card" warning on Vietnam's seafood exports, the province has identified anti-IUU fishing as an important, urgent political task with long-term significance for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector. Therefore, the province has continuously implemented many solutions to minimize and eventually end violations against IUU fishing, especially against the EC's 4 groups of recommendations on IUU.

Comrade Trinh Minh Hoang inspected anti-IUU fishing work at Hon Ro fishing port (Nam Nha Trang ward).

After the meetings of the National Steering Committee on IUU, the Provincial People's Committee has thoroughly grasped and directed relevant units to resolutely and strictly handle violations. The locality has achieved many positive results in combating IUU fishing, especially in fleet management; monitoring, inspecting and controlling fishing vessel activities at sea; controlling fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, output; tracing the origin of aquatic products from exploitation; law enforcement... Up to now, the province's fishing fleet has 5,213 vessels, 100% of which have been registered and marked in accordance with regulations; 1,505/1,505 fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more have installed voyage monitoring equipment (VMS); there are no more "3 no" fishing vessels in the area (no registration, no inspection, no fishing license); for many years now, Khanh Hoa has had no fishing vessels violating foreign waters...

According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Chanh - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Deputy Head of the Provincial IUU Steering Committee, in carrying out the tasks assigned by the Prime Minister related to focusing on implementing the peak month against IUU fishing and sustainable development of the fisheries sector, Khanh Hoa has so far completed 8/11 tasks including: Classifying and ensuring 100% of fishing vessels are registered, inspected, granted or extended licenses; 100% of fishing vessels are numbered, registered, painted, and marked; ensuring sufficient capacity to control 100% of fishing vessel activities, trace the origin of exploited aquatic products, and handle IUU violations; ensuring sufficient information technology infrastructure at fishing ports to support fishermen in updating data on the electronic aquatic product traceability system (eCDT). Along with that, ensure that the operational data of all fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more is entered, stored, and processed on the eCDT system to serve the traceability of seafood; ensure that data on the volume of exploited seafood unloaded through ports, and records of traceability of exploited seafood are carried out on the eCDT system; 100% of local fishing ports implement the eCDT system; handle 100% of violations of VMS, exceeding the permitted boundaries of exploitation at sea, and violations in illegal exploitation of seafood in foreign waters from 2024 to present.

For the remaining 3 tasks on: Registering vessels serving aquaculture and other service vessels so that no fishing vessels without license plates or markings participate in activities; announcing the opening of an additional fishing port combined with a storm shelter area for the Ninh Hai Storm Shelter Area (Dong Ninh Hoa ward) and issuing a policy on job conversion for fishermen, the Provincial People's Committee has directed units and localities to implement in order to complete the assigned schedule.

Fleet management, control of seafood output through ports

At the meeting, comrade Trinh Minh Hoang requested that units and localities in the province absolutely must not be subjective, and must identify the work of combating IUU fishing as a key, urgent task, with long-term significance for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly resolve violations against IUU fishing.

Provincial Fisheries Surveillance force inspects fishing vessel activities at sea.

Through the actual inspection of anti-IUU fishing work in localities, the Provincial IUU Steering Committee recommends that in the coming time, localities and relevant units need to focus on effectively implementing the management and supervision of local fishing fleets and controlling the output of seafood exploited through ports. These are the remaining issues in completing the anti-IUU fishing work in the province.

Comrade Trinh Minh Hoang requested the People's Committees of localities to proactively coordinate closely with relevant agencies and units to regularly review and ensure a firm grasp of all fishing vessels in the area, grasp the transferred, sunk, missing, dismantled, changed address vessels... to cross-check all fishing vessel data. For fishing vessels that are not qualified to operate, localities need to guide and require ship owners to fully comply with fishing vessel procedures according to regulations; absolutely do not let unqualified fishing vessels participate in fishing activities, if they still operate, they will be strictly handled. Localities need to closely coordinate with border guards and police within 7 days to completely handle the docking and unloading of seafood at the beaches. Fishing vessels must unload exploited seafood through ports that have been announced as qualified to control the output of exploited seafood...

On the afternoon of October 28, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha - Head of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) chaired the 19th meeting of the Steering Committee. The meeting was connected online to 21 coastal provinces and cities across the country. At the Khanh Hoa bridge, Mr. Trinh Minh Hoang - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial IUU Steering Committee, along with leaders of departments, branches and localities attended the meeting.

Reporting to Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Trinh Minh Hoang said that on the morning of October 29, the province will have a report at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on the situation of importing raw materials of T&H Nha Trang Company Limited and Thinh Hung Company Limited in the past time because previously, there were 2 shipments exported to the European Union (EU) that violated regulations.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested ministries, branches and localities to identify the fight against IUU fishing as an important, urgent task of long-term significance for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector and to thoroughly address IUU violations. In addition to assigning tasks to central ministries and branches, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested localities to continue to review, effectively implement, and create substantial changes in the implementation of assigned tasks related to focusing on the peak month of fighting against IUU fishing and sustainable development of the fisheries sector; review and compare local fisheries management data; closely coordinate with central ministries and branches in preparing to welcome and work with the EC Inspection Delegation; promptly develop programs and plans for career transition for fishermen...

HAI LANG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/kinh-te/202510/thuc-hien-hieu-qua-cong-tac-chong-khai-thac-iuu-1cc511d/