Inspectors go patrol on the sea in the central province of Quảng Ngãi. — VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hương

SEOUL — The Republic of Korea (RoK) supports Việt Nam's efforts in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, as recommended by the European Commission (EC), said Korean Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung.

During a recent interview granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Seoul, Kang described Việt Nam as a major seafood trading partner.

Last year, Việt Nam was the third largest seafood exporter to the RoK with a value of roughly US$800 million, primarily consisting of shrimp, shrimp meat, and octopus. He added that Việt Nam is also the fifth largest source of seafood imports from the RoK, valued at some $240 million last year.

The RoK Government plans to work with major Korean companies like Lotte Mart in HCM City to launch trade promotion initiatives that will benefit both Vietnamese seafood producers and Korean consumers, he revealed.

The interview also shed light on ongoing technical cooperation projects between the two countries. "The RoK's National Institute of Fisheries Science and Việt Nam's Research Institute for Aquaculture are currently engaged in a project to enhance aquaculture productivity in the northern Vietnamese provinces of Nam Định and Ninh Bình", Minister Kang said. This project, valued at 3 billion KRW ($2.1 billion) and running from 2022 to 2026, aims to improve aquaculture practices through technology transfer. He reaffirmed the RoK's commitment to building long-term partnerships with Việt Nam to develop a sustainable aquaculture sector.

Presenting the RoK’s ongoing efforts and experiences against IUU fishing, he said the RoK Government advocates for upholding the rule of law, information sharing, public awareness campaigns, and refraining from violence in enforcement efforts.

He expressed wish for joint work with Việt Nam in this regard, saying that the RoK will also collaborate to strengthen the capabilities of Asian countries like Việt Nam to address IUU fishing. — VNS