Australia supports Vietnam in opening an IUU human resource training 'furnace' for the Asia-Pacific region

Fisheries officers from the Asia-Pacific region are gathering in Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa Province) to attend a training course on fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MSC) organized by Nha Trang University with the aim of improving their capacity to respond to illegal fishing in other countries.

Training content from basic to advanced

photo: shui hypnosis

From May 5-23, Nha Trang University in collaboration with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) organized the third training course on "Monitoring, Controlling and Supervising Fisheries" in the first phase of 2025. This is a program funded by the Australian government to improve the capacity to respond to illegal fishing in regional countries.

Asia- Pacific training

For the first course this year, a total of 38 trainees are fisheries officers from the Asia- Pacific region participating, with a team of lecturers from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, regional experts and human resources from Nha Trang University.

The training course is expected to provide trainees with theoretical and practical knowledge related to fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance activities to effectively address the issue of IUU (illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing).

The training course lasted 3 weeks and included the main contents such as learning the theory of MCS; Practicing collecting fisheries data at Hon Ro fishing port; Practicing paper nautical charts, using marine electric machines and equipment on fishing vessels at the aquatic and nautical chart practice room, Institute of Fisheries Science and Technology; Practicing monitoring fishing vessels at Hon Ro fishing port according to the scenario designed by the lecturer.

Students take fish samples for genetic testing.

photo: shui hypnosis

When the press delegation participating in the Media Tour 2025 program organized by the Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City visited Australian development projects and businesses in the Central Highlands and South Central Coast regions, MSC students were instructed to collect samples for fish genetic testing.

This is a measure that allows fisheries officers to identify specimens to determine whether fishermen are engaging in illegal fishing.

Initiative from Vietnam

Master Tran Van Hao, lecturer at the Institute of Fisheries Science and Technology, Nha Trang University (Khanh Hoa province), said that the MSC training course is part of a project initiated by Nha Trang University and funded by the Australian government.

Initially, Nha Trang University proposed to the Australian government to develop a MSC capacity building program for Vietnamese fisheries officers to respond to IUU. However, the Canberra government recognized the importance and necessity of promoting this capacity building for the entire region. As a result, the project was approved with a scope to expand to the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr David Power of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority

photo: shui hypnosis

According to the program content, within 3 years, an estimated 110 trainees will be trained in MSC (based on actual participation data after 3 courses). They are fisheries officers from 8 ASEAN countries with sea (except Laos, Myanmar) and Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea.

By June this year, 18 officials from regional countries are expected to participate in an exchange program in Thailand to listen to this country share its experience in removing the "yellow card" for fisheries, a list of countries warned about illegal fishing.

Mr. David Power, Senior Manager – External Compliance Policy Department of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, highly appreciated the role of Nha Trang University in bringing about the initiative that brings benefits to the region. After the assessment period, the Australian government decided to extend the project by one year, until 2027, compared to the original plan of only 5 years (2022-2026).

According to Mr. Power, the program also helps build a network of regional fisheries officers, thereby enhancing cooperation among countries participating in actions against IUU fishing in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr. Robert Ano, Fisheries Officer of Papua New Guinea

photo: shui hypnosis

Responding to Thanh Nien , Ms. De Fatima Belo Maria said she is one of two representatives from Timor Leste participating in the program, which she considers important to improve the capacity of Timor Leste's fisheries control staff.

Mr. Robert Ano, a fisheries officer from Papua New Guinea, said that the training course provided a good opportunity to access new techniques in the field of fisheries control, update information on IUU that other countries are applying, share ideas and supplement new knowledge and techniques to enhance law enforcement capacity, and at the same time promote further cooperation in combating IUU in the region.

During the training, he also shared his experience in coordinating with neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Australia in implementing MSC capacity to combat illegal fishing.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/uc-ho-tro-viet-nam-mo-lo-dao-tao-nhan-luc-iuu-cho-chau-a-thai-binh-duong-185250508043418007.htm