HCM CITY – The southernmost province of Cà Mau is installing black box devices for monitoring trips on fishing ships longer than 15 metres.

The equipment will provide information on permitted fishing areas, support search and rescue efforts, and trace the origin of caught fish.

As part of a pilot project, the province installed black boxes on 30 fishing ships in U Minh District’s Khánh Hội Commune and Trần Văn Thời District’s Sông Đốc Town. Based on the pilot, the province will install black boxes on large fishing ships.

Under the decision by the province’s People’s Committee, around 1,500 ships will receive a black box by the end of this year.

Nguyễn Việt Triều, deputy head of the province’s Fisheries Sub-department, said the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in co-operation with border posts and black-box suppliers will provide information to ship owners, mostly in large river mouth areas such as in Sông Đốc Town, Khánh Hội Commune and Phú Tân District’s Cái Đôi Vàm Town.

“Fishing ship owners will receive information about the Fisheries Law 2017 and other legal documents about the compulsory installment,” he said.

Ship owners will be punished if they do not install the black boxes, or operate and maintain them.

Those ships that do not install the boxes will be prevented from going on fishing trips, according to the People’s Committee. 

Fishing ships that do not operate their black boxes around the clock during trips will receive administrative penalties.

With a 254km-long coast and more than 71,000 sq. km of sea water, Cà Mau has great fishing potential.

Last year, the province’s fishermen caught a total of more than 200,000 tonnes of fish and other aquatic species.

The province has 4,722 registered fishing boats with a total capacity of 671,312 CV.

Cà Mau authorities have encouraged fishermen to build high-capacity fishing ships and upgrade existing fishing ships to improve fishing efficiency.

The province has also provided loans for fishermen to build or upgrade their fishing ships.

Under Government Decree 67 issued in 2014, fishermen who build high-capacity fishing ships or upgrade their fishing ships will be provided loans worth up to 90 per cent of their ship building costs. – VNS