Building a "Fishery Culture" among fishermen.

Quang Ninh province possesses a rich marine area with significant fisheries potential, providing a livelihood for tens of thousands of fishermen. In the context of the fishing industry being increasingly impacted by climate change, environmental pollution, and especially overfishing, the protection and development of fisheries resources has become one of the province's urgent and long-term strategic tasks.

In 2025, Quang Ninh province will implement strong and coordinated actions, strictly adhering to central government directives on combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing, improving the efficiency of fisheries management, and protecting maritime sovereignty . At the beginning of the year, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 20/KH-UBND dated January 20, 2025, on the planning, management, conservation, and exploitation of aquatic resources until 2030, with a vision to 2050. This plan sets specific goals and a clear roadmap for expanding the area of ​​marine and coastal protected areas, in line with the national target of achieving 6% of Vietnam's natural sea area as outlined in Prime Minister's Decision No. 1539/QĐ-TTg.

The dissemination of fisheries law was carried out extensively with 58 direct meetings and exchanges reaching 4,117 fishermen, along with 7,493 leaflets, zoning maps, and fishing logbooks… in the first quarter of 2025; thereby helping fishermen to thoroughly understand the regulations against IUU fishing.

Brigade 169, Region 1 of the Navy, organized a campaign to disseminate information on the Fisheries Law and presented gifts to fishermen engaged in fishing activities in the waters of Co To district. Photo: Nhat Minh (CTV)

Regarding fishing vessel management, as of the end of March 2025, the province had a total of 6,208 vessels, including 1,898 vessels under 6m in length, 3,560 vessels between 6-12m, and 750 vessels 12m or longer. The licensing rate reached 90.8% for vessels under 6-12m and 99.47% for vessels over 12m. The VMS system has been installed on all 267 vessels ≥ 15m. The rate of updating vessel owner data (CCCD/CMT) on Vnfishbase has also improved, reaching 90.3%.

In particular, conservation and regeneration activities for aquatic resources have been intensified, yielding many positive signs for the recovery of marine ecosystems and aiming for a sustainable development of the fisheries sector. Beyond simply raising awareness or encouraging fishermen to reduce fishing intensity, the province has proactively implemented systematic and sustainable activities.

Notably, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has proposed priority tasks, solutions, and projects to realize this orientation in the province, including the preparation of a dossier for the establishment of the new Co To - Tran Island Marine Protected Area - an area with valuable endemic coral reef and aquatic ecosystems that require strict protection.

Conservation practices are not limited to planning documents but have been realized through concrete actions. On the occasion of the 66th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnamese Fisheries Industry (April 1, 2025), the province organized large-scale fish stocking activities to replenish resources. Specifically, at Yen Lap Lake (Quang Yen town), 162,000 fish fry were released to restore the freshwater ecological balance. At Ghenh Vo port (Hai Ha district), 280,000 marine fish fry were released to restore coastal resources.

Delegates and residents of Hai Ha district release aquatic species into the sea area near Ghenh Vo wharf, Quang Ha town (Hai Ha) on March 28. Photo: Thanh Truong (CTV)

Alongside the restoration efforts, the province has also intensified inspection, monitoring, and enforcement of violations, demonstrating a clear deterrent effect. In the first three months of 2025, functional forces handled 80 cases of violations, imposing fines totaling over 783 million VND. Specifically, the Department of Agriculture and Environment handled 34 cases in March 2025, collecting 783 million VND in fines; the Border Guard force detected 7 cases, imposing fines of 51 million VND…

Notably, the operation of receiving and responding to calls via the hotline for protecting aquatic resources has also been effectively maintained. In the first quarter of 2023, 22 reports were received, of which 4 cases of violations were verified and strictly handled, helping to strengthen coordination between the government and the people in detecting illegal fishing activities.

One crucial task in protecting aquatic resources is controlling catch volumes. Quang Ninh province is currently implementing an electronic fishing control system (eCDT) to monitor the volume of seafood landed at ports, thereby ensuring transparent traceability as required by the EU and international markets. In January 2025, the total controlled catch volume was nearly 13,000 tons, of which 607.5 tons were updated via eCDT at Cai Rong port. However, the eCDT system still faces certain challenges, such as the limited electronic reporting skills of fishermen and the fact that some fishing vessels have not yet been designated to dock at Cai Rong port because the port does not yet meet the legal requirements to receive offshore vessels.

With the decisive involvement of the entire political system, Quang Ninh is gradually building a "responsible fishing culture" - where fishermen are not only exploiters but also protectors of marine resources for the future; worthy of the potential of the sea that nature has bestowed upon it.

Thu Nguyet

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/xay-dung-van-hoa-nghe-ca-trong-ngu-dan-3353626.html