Quang Tri (VNA) - Quang Tri province has intensified inspections from fishing ports to fishing grounds and closely monitored fishing vessels that do not meet operational standards, as part of vigorous efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The central province has also paid attention to collecting registration and inspection data, integrating it for management, and ensuring that non-compliant vessels are not allowed to go fishing.
Le Van Bao, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, has requested relevant local units to closely track the inspection deadlines of all local fishing vessels, including those registered elsewhere or at private inspection units.
Through inspections, awareness campaigns, and the collection of vessel documentation from local fishermen, authorities aim to equip the provincial monitoring system with full data to manage all vessels and block non-compliant boats from fishing, he said.
Bao also urged the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to work with local authorities to track vessels nearing the end of their technical inspection period and guide owners to complete inspections on time.
Localities were tasked with accelerating the deregistration of vessels that no longer exist and swiftly ending IUU fishing activities in the province.
Quang Tri has more than 4,600 fishing vessels with a length of six metres or longer, including 158 that are unqualified for operation. Local authorities have tightened supervision by sealing non-compliant vessels, assigning staff for regular monitoring, and publicly disclosing their status to prevent IUU fishing and enable community oversight.
Sen. Lt. Colonel Cao Ngoc Lam, head of the economic security division of the provincial Department of Public Security, said the police force will intensify monitoring and strictly handle serious IUU fishing violations, especially illegal operations by local vessels in foreign waters, while coordinating sanctions to prevent unresolved cases or vessel detentions.
Le Ngoc Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial Sub-department of Fisheries and Fishery Surveillance, said enforcement against IUU fishing violations has shifted from persuasion to strict and zero-tolerance action, focusing on strong deterrence and clear accountability for vessel owners, captains and management agencies.
In the coming period, authorities will focus on communication and guidance to help fishing vessel owners regularly monitor the validity and expiry of vessel documents and complete renewals or reissuance in a timely manner to avoid non-compliance, he noted./.
Quang Tri promotes sustainable fisheries to combat IUU fishing
With more than 191 km of coastline and over 8,000 fishing vessels, Quang Tri province is strengthening measures to work closely with fishermen and fishing grounds to prevent all IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing violations and move towards sustainable marine resource exploitation.
