Up to 96 per cent of the total offshore fishing vessels of Quảng Bình Province have installed vessel monitoring system (VMS) equipment. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG BÌNH — The coastal central province of Quảng Bình has been taking many measures to fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Together with the Government, ministries, branches, agencies, and other localities in the effort to have the European Commission's “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood removed, Quảng Bình has implemented the directives of the Government, issued guiding documents, and organised inspections on the fight.

In the first nine months of this year, nearly 70 conferences with about 4,700 participants were held in the province. Nearly 5,000 shipowners and captains signed a commitment not to violate fishing regulations. The province also distributed about 14,000 leaflets and materials on the issue.

Đoàn Ngọc Lâm, Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said departments, agencies and localities in the province kept paying attention to deploying measures to prevent and combat illegal fishing.

At the same time, units allocated resources to reorganise fisheries exploitation activities in a sustainable and effective direction, improving people's lives.

The locality focused on promoting offshore fishing associated with strict implementation of regulations against IUU fishing.

The province also requested fishermen to strictly comply with legal regulations in fisheries exploitation.

Leaders of localities, units and agencies were urged to raise their roles and responsibilities in the fight. Those who failed to fulfil their assignment would be strictly disciplined and punished, while those with good performance would get proper compliments.

Quảng Bình Province is one of the localities with a strongly developed fishing fleet in Việt Nam. More than 3,600 fishing vessels, each with a length of 6 metres or more, have installed vessel monitoring system (VMS) equipment, accounting for 96 per cent of its total.

In 2022, the province’s seafood production reached nearly 93,000 tonnes. It’s expected to increase to nearly 97,700 tonnes this year. — VNS