New decrees contribute to perfecting anti-IUU fishing regulations

According to the Directorate of Fisheries, the Prime Minister has recently issued a number of decrees detailing measures to implement the Fisheries Law, as well as regulating sanctions on administrative violations in the field of fisheries. The decrees are additional attempts to combat IUU fishing in Vietnam.

Regarding fishing boat monitoring, Decree No.37 clarifies the responsibility of central and local agencies in managing and use of the vessel monitoring system, as well as the responsibility of vessel monitoring system suppliers.

The decree has an additional regulation on observers on Vietnamese fishing vessels operating in Vietnam's territorial waters to create a legal framework to maintain and promote Vietnam's seafood exports to the US.

It adjusts and supplements a number of regulations on controlling foreign vessels’ activities of exploiting and transporting aquatic products originating from Vietnamese ports, and controlling seafood and aquatic products imported into Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Decree No.38 increases the prescription for sanctioning administrative violations in the fisheries sector to two years, along with stricter punishments on repeated violations, and the power of rangers on posing punishments on violations of regulations on the protection of aquatic resources in national parks and conservation areas./.