Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has asked localities to takestrong measures to fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU)fishing and prepare for the visit by the European Commission’s inspection teamin October to assess Vietnam’s progress in combating IUU fishing.
Localities wereasked to prioritise ensuring resources for implementing measures againstIUU fishing, and take strong measures to prevent and stop fishing vessels and fishermenfrom illegal fishing in foreign waters.
Violations relating to arranging for vessels and fishermen to illegally fish in foreign waters investigated and verified in a timely way and strictly punished.
Regarding the management offishing vessels, localities will conduct a comprehensive inspectionand review all fishing vessels to make detailed records on both registered and unregistered vessels operating in areasoutside their local fishing grounds, and those without vessel monitoring system (VMS).
Authorities must strictly controlfishing vessels entering and leaving local ports, and those enteringand exiting at the border posts and border stations.
Relevant agencies must fullyupdate fishing vessel data into the national fisheries database (VNFishbase), prevent and strictly handle those operating without VMS.
Localities must intensify the verification and certification of theorigin traceability of aquatic products to ensure legality, and organise specialised inspections and examinations of enterprises that importraw aquatic materials for processing and exporting to the European market.
The MARD alsoasked relevant departments including the Fisheries Department and the FisheriesSurveillance Department to strengthen management and control over the import of aquatic products, fishing, and inspections.
The Fisheries SurveillanceDepartment will have to coordinate with relevant agencies of the Ministries ofNational Defense, Public Security, and Foreign Affairs in organisinginterdisciplinary working groups to work with host countries where Vietnamesevessels are alleged to commit illegal fishing.
It was assigned tohold an online meeting with the EC in September to prepare for the 4thvisit of EC’s inspectors in October./.
