Fishing vessels in Quang Binh province (Photo: VNA) AnEC delegation is scheduled to come to Vietnam this April for the fifthinspection of efforts against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU)fishing.
Toprepare for the visit and persuade the EC to remove the “yellow card” warningover the issue, the MARD has sent a written request to the People’s Committeesof the coastal provinces and centrally-run cities.
Accordingly,it demanded the localities review, examine, and clarify the situation of thevessels unable to be tracked via VMS for more than six months, especially those24 metres long and over, and report on the causes of their tracking losses,settlement results, and reasons of not imposing fines in line with regulations.
Theywere asked to verify information to stringently deal with the vesselscommitting VMS-related violations, especially the ones 24 metres long and over,as well as those infringing and illegally fishing in foreign waters.
TheMARD requested the localities increase communications and guidance to helpfishermen register their vessels while preventing unverified, unregistered, orunlicensed vessels from operating in their waters.
Besides,the provinces and cities were urged to boost resources for applying theelectronic traceability system and electronic logbooks to fishing activities toensure information transparency. They were also told to make daily updatesabout fishing vessels, results of administrative punishments, the volumes ofseafood recorded at fishery ports, seafood-related certificates, and high-riskvessels, among others, on relevant fisheries databases.
TheMARD also asked them to enhance the management of vessels arriving at anddeparting from local fishery ports so as to detect and thoroughly deal withviolating vehicles.
The EC issued a “yellow card” warning forVietnam in this regard in 2017. It can be followed by a "greencard" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" if it is not. A“red card” may lead to a complete ban on aquatic exports to the EU./.
VNA
