At the workking session between Bình Thuận leaders and the MARD delegation. VNA/VNS Photo

BÌNH THUẬN – The south-central province of Bình Thuận has recorded positive results in preventing and fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Nguyễn Văn Chiến, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported to a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) at a working session on Wednesday.

Chiến said that the province has mobilised the engagement of the whole political system in the work, focusing on urgent solutions following the Prime Minister’s directions.

Thanks to the close supervision of the local fishing vessel fleet, especially those with high risks, the province has not seen fishing vessels violating foreign waters since early 2023, Chiến said.

The official said that so far, 1,942 operating boats out of 1,953 local fishing vessels with a length of 15m and above have installed the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). The remaining 11 vessels are currently out of service.

The locality has updated the data of 5,935 fishing boats with a length from 6m and above to the national fishing vessel registration system Vnfishbase, while issuing fisheries exploitation licences to 3,290 vessels. The remainders are waiting for new licences as their old licences expired on April 30.

Besides, the province has applied strict punishments to violations of IUU fishing regulations. Last year, the provincial Sub-Department of Fisheries sanctioned 378 cases and collected a total fine of VNĐ3.5 billion (US$137,484), while the provincial Border Guard Command sanctioned 197 cases and collected a fine of VNĐ650 million.

Addressing the working session, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development cum Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for IUU Fishing Prevention and Control Phùng Đức Tiến asked Bình Thuận to work harder, especially in dealing with violations.

He explained that drastic actions are needed from now until September to lift the European Commission (EC)'s “yellow card” warning, which has been imposed on Vietnamese seafood exports.

Earlier, the MARD's working group inspected IUU prevention and control at two fishing ports and a number of agencies in Bình Thuận.

Meanwhile, the central province of Nghệ An, which has a coastline of more than 80km and nearly 3,400 fishing vessels, has also shown strong performance in IUU fishing prevention and combat.

Currently, 2,450 local fishing vessels with a length of 6m and above have been registered, reaching 97.69 per cent of the total number of vessels subject to registration.

The province has issued a plan to specify targets, tasks and solutions stated in the Government’s Resolution No 52/NQ-CP on the action programme and plan to realise the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat’s Directive 32-CT/TW on strengthening the Party leadership over IUU prevention and combat and boosting sustainable development of the fishery sector.

Under the plan, the provincial People’s Committee asked local administrations at all levels, agencies, organisations and individuals to join hands in preventing violations of IUU prevention and control regulations from early while closely managing the local fishing boat fleet and strictly handling violations.

Local authorities were requested to monitor 100 per cent of operating fishing vessels and conduct regular patrols at sea. Organisations and individuals failing to complete their tasks will receive strict punishments, according to the plan. VNS