Fishing vessels anchored at a port in Quảng Ngãi Province. The province is launching a campaign to keep all uncertified and unregistered vessels away from the sea. — VNA/VNS Photo Như Ngọc

QUẢNG NGÃI — Quảng Ngãi Province is launching a campaign to identify all uncertified and unregistered fishing vessels on its waters to curb Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The campaign involves its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and some other municipalities, who will list uncertified and unregistered fishing vessels and submit the list to the provincial authorities before December 9.

Regarding newly built and converted vessels, the province urges owners to get their vessels certified and registered quickly. Otherwise, their vessels could be blacklisted and labelled as unqualified for fishing under Instruction No.3727.

By Nov 22, Quảng Ngãi's Subdirectorate of Fisheries had detected 716 uncertified and unregistered fishing vessels, of which 228 came from Lý Sơn District, 186 from Đức Phổ, and 160 from Quảng Ngãi City.

Nguyễn Văn Mười, Director of the Subdirectorate of Fisheries, said his sub-directorate was taking action to ensure vessel owners act within the law.

Regarding vessels that have been certified but not registered, the supervising body will assist owners in the application process to ensure their vessels are registered with ease. Regarding vessels that remain uncertified, it will seek instruction from central governments.

"Vessels will not be permitted to engage in maritime fisheries unless they have sufficient documents required by the law," said Mười.

Quảng Ngãi Province currently has 4,292 certified fishing vessels of 6-to-24-metre length, of which 3,579 are allowed to engage in maritime fisheries (83.38 per cent). — VNS