Representatives of both sides exchanged signed dossier at the signing ceremony. - VNA/VNS Photo

KIÊN GIANG – The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang will continue cooperating with the High Command of the Coast Guard Region 4 to enhance communications work to raise fishermen’s awareness about the fight against the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Under a cooperation programme for 2024 and 2025 signed between the provincial Party Committee’s information and education board and the coast guard force at a conference on March 21, both sides will focus on popularising the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies and regulations, agreements that Việt Nam has clinched with competent countries, and Kiên Giang’s documents on sea and islands.

Besides, regulations on the protection and sustainable development of aquatic resources, Việt nam’s legitimate rights at sea in accordance with international law and the achievements that the country has carved out to remove the European Union (EC)’s “yellow card” will be brought closer to local people.

They will enhance communication work on the role and potential of sea and islands to the national construction and protection, strategy on sustainable development of the blue economy in tandem with national defence and security.

In the meantime, the two sides will encourage the coast guard officers to overcome challenges to protect the national sovereignty over sea and islands and maintain peace and stability in the southwestern waters. They will also work to fight against wrongful and hostile views on the East Sea issue and the relationship between Việt Nam and relevant countries.

According to head of the information and education board Nguyen Thanh Phong, the communication campaign between the two sides has paid off over the past years, helping reduce the number of fishing vessels infringing on foreign waters. In 2020, there were 43 violating cases while the figure was brought down to 16 in 2023.

Located in the southwestern region, Kiên Giang has a coastline of 200 kilometres, 143 small and large islands, and a sea area of more than 63,000 square kilometres. - VNS