Fight against IUU fishing: violations strictly handled

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Competent authorities have handled violations relating to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) with fines amounting to hundreds of billions of Vietnamese dong.

The Government issued Decree No.42/2019/ND-CP on May 16, 2019, stipulating fines on administrative violations in fisheries.

Since the document came into force, the Directorate of Fisheries and the fisheries surveillance force of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) detected and handled 627 cases with a total fine of over 2 billion VND (about 87,600 USD).

Up to 2,198 violations were brought to light by the Ministry of National Defence, with fines worth more than 54 billion VND. The ministry also handed over 15 fishing boats that had violated foreign waters to provincial People’s Committees.

Localities also discovered 8,810 cases and imposed a penalty of over 83 billion VND.

The ministry said progress has been made in State management of ministries, agencies and localities. However, there still difficulties in the settlement of administrative violations due to the incoordination of fishermen.

Given this, the ministry has suggested the Ministry of Justice supplement certain regulations to a new decree to replace Decree No. 42, and supplement and adjust the content regarding the authority of border guard and coast guard in the IUU fishing fight./.