Authorised forces disseminate information to a fishing vessel owner in south central Ninh Thuận Province to not commit illegal fishing. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Thử

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s 28 coastal localities have scored achievements in fighting illegal, unreported and undocumented (IUU) fishing, towards having the “yellow card” warning of the European Commission (EC) lifted.

Deputy Director of the Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Phạm Thị Na said the provincial authorities directed relevant forces to intensify inspections of fishing vessels, especially before their departure and after their arrival back at ports.

The province also set up a coordination mechanism with the Vietnam Coast Guards and the High Command of Military Zone II to detect and handle vessels that commit IUU fishing.

The department also set up representative offices at fishing ports, with staff from the Border Guards and Fisheries Sub-Department, to check all outgoing and incoming vessels.

Deputy Director of the Phú Yên provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Tri Phương said the province has prevented violations of foreign waters by closely monitoring vessels through Vessel Monitoring Systems and by having all captains sign commitments to not violate foreign waters.

Statistics showed that Việt Nam is now home to nearly 92,000 fishing vessels. As of late September, over 95 per cent of them were equipped with monitoring devices, up nearly 5 per cent from the previous month.

Seafood caught outside Việt Nam’s waters are ensured to follow Việt Nam’s law and the Agreement on Port State Measures, thus facilitating the management and licensing of aquatic products for export to the European Union.

Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and head of the IUU VASEP Executive Board Nguyễn Thị Thu Sắc suggested that the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) give priority to technology solutions to modern fishing management and improve the process of granting relevant papers such as fishing databases and e-diaries.

She proposed the Government, MARD, cities and provinces prioritise investment in the marine-based economy, including increasing the number of qualified fishing ports and making further investment in infrastructure, equipment, workforce and management personnel training for IUU combat.

Leaders of ministries, agencies and 28 centrally-run coastal cities and provinces must raise their sense of responsibility for the issue, considering it an urgent and priority task.

An EC delegation will visit Việt Nam at the end of October to inspect the measures taken against IUU fishing. — VNS