Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Kien Giang (VNA) - The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has made various efforts to crack down illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as instructed by the European Commission (EC).
The provincial Department of Information and Communications has coordinated with distric administrations and local media to increase public awareness of the issue and campaign fishermen to comply with the 2017 Law on Fisheries and regulations against IUU fishing.
Local authorities have provided education and training on IUU fishing prevention rules for fishermen, ship owners, captains and crews at fishing ports and villages.
The provincial Department of Agriculture partnered with local police and military forces to patrol and inspect fishing vessels at sea and, at the same time, all fishing boats have been required to install cruise tracking devices and record their activities in their daily fishing journals. Those who did not install, turn on tracking devices or keep fishing journals have been strictly punished.
The provincial Border Guards Command has directed its posts to strictly control fishing boats and fishermen that cruise in and out fishing ports and stop them from going out to sea if they lack necessary procedures, papers and equipment.
A list of fishing ships and ship owners that violate regulations related to the EC’s warning on IUU fishing is publicised monthly. Recidivists are not allowed to fish or build new ships, and do not enjoy the State’s support policies.
On October 23, 2017, the EC issued a "yellow card" warning to Vietnam after the country failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fight against IUU fishing.
The "yellow card" is followed by a "green card" if issues are resolved or a "red card" if they aren’t. A “red card” can lead to a trade ban on fishery products.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked 28 coastal localities to strictly follow the Prime Minister’s dispatch and directive related to IUU fishing, and to intensify inspections and investigations on IUU fishing to stop IUU fishing in foreign waters.-VNA
VNA
