Quang Ngai (VNA) - Enhanced communication, guidance, and coordinated enforcement with strict handling of violations related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing have helped raise fishermen’s awareness and generated positive changes in IUU prevention efforts in central Quang Ngai province.
Quang Ngai is home to 4,846 fishing vessels, all of which have been registered and fully updated on the VNFishbase system. Of these, all 4,748 vessels currently in operation have been granted fishing licences, accounting for 100%. Meanwhile, 98 other vessels, or about 2% of the registered fleet, remain ineligible for the issuance or renewal of licences.
Since October 1, the province has taken action against all 18 vessels found to have lost monitoring signals for six hours, been disconnected for more than 10 days while at sea, or operated beyond permitted fishing areas. Quang Ngai has also fulfilled all 19 tasks assigned by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Sen. Lt. Colonel Do Tai Nang, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Quang Ngai Border Guard Command, said that among the 98 vessels still ineligible for licences, border guard forces and local authorities have managed and installed identification signs on 37. The remaining 61 vessels are subject to civil judgment enforcement, including 37 that are operating or anchoring outside the province. The Border Guard Command has proposed the provincial Department of Civil Judgment Enforcement strengthen communication and accelerate inspection and verification procedures to facilitate enforcement for vessels anchoring outside the locality.
On December 22, the provincial Inspectorate announced a decision to inspect the accountability of departments, agencies and local authorities in the fight against IUU fishing. The inspection will focus on leadership and implementation efforts, actual anchoring locations of vessel groups, and fishing port management. This includes vessel control and seafood traceability to ensure consistency of records among relevant agencies, and the handling of administrative violations related to IUU fishing, along with other related issues.
Police and border guard forces have been instructed to enhance coordination and tighten control over high-risk vessels, while supporting the verification of vessels under judgment enforcement that are anchoring outside the province. Border guard units have also been tasked with establishing on-site control teams at fishing ports to promptly detect, prevent and handle violations, particularly involving high-risk vessels and those subject to enforcement when entering or leaving ports.
At the same time, the provincial People’s Committee has requested the provincial Department of Civil Judgment Enforcement to strengthen its responsibility in handling vessels under its management. It has also been tasked with coordinating with the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the provincial Department of Public Security to identify crew numbers, vessel owners, and anchoring locations, and promptly resolve outstanding issues related to vessels subject to judgment enforcement in the province./.
