Communications key to fighting IUU fishing

Fishing boats arrive at the Tho Quang fishing port, Da Nang. (Photo: nhandan.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) - Communications campaigns raising fishermen’s awareness about the Law on Fisheries and the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing are considered the leading measure in Vietnamese coastal localities’ effort to get the European Commission (EC)'s “yellow card” warning to be removed soon.

The central province of Nghe An, which has so far issued its action plan to carry out the anti-IUU project toward 2025, has worked to renew communications work and expand its reach to each fishermen and ship owner. Localities have used vivid images, videos and specific examples of IUU fishing behaviours to help people easily understand, properly perceive, and strictly abide by the regulations when fishing at sea.

Meanwhile, in the Mekong Delta of Kien Giang, a total of 236 law communications sessions took place since the beginning of this year, benefiting more than 12,900 fishermen. The local authorities also handed over 11,200 anti-IUU fishing fliers and over 1,300 national flags to the group.

In Da Nang, Son Tra district, which houses the central city’s largest number of fishing vessels, has established 71 solidarity production groups at sea and coordinated with agencies and units to provide fishermen with the Party's guidelines, policies and laws related to them.

Vessels docks at a fishing port in Sam Son city, Thanh Hoa province. (Source: nhandan.vn)

An inspection team from the European Commission (EC) will visit Vietnam to examine the country’s efforts on IUU fishing prevention and control in October instead of May as it announced earlier. The EC suggested the organisation of online working sessions with Vietnamese authorities in May, June and October before sending the team to Vietnam.

In late May, a MARD delegation will have in-person working sessions with EC representatives to update them on Vietnam’s achievements in IUU fishing prevention and control with the hope of narrowing the EC’s recommendations to Vietnam.

Since the EC’s inspection in last October, Vietnam has worked hard to implement four groups of the EC’s recommendations on IUU fishing prevention and control, including those on legal framework; fishing vessel monitoring and control, and fleet management; seafood output verification and origin traceability; and law enforcement./.