Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Quang Tri (VNA) - The central coastal province of Quang Tri has enhanced surveillance and inspection of fishing vessels docking at and setting sail from local ports as part of the efforts to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
This aims to soon remove the “yellow card” warning issued by the European Commission (EC) to Vietnam’s fishery sector.
Accordingly, at least 20 percent of fishing vessels specializing in catching tuna; 10 percent of those using nets for catching fish and 5 percent of those specializing in other fields have been inspected.
Additionally, information in the logbook on fishing, fishery purchasing and transshipments has been checked to ensure that aquatic species on board fishing vessels are in accordance with the sector that the vessels’ owners have registered.
Meanwhile, attention has been paid to comparing names and registration numbers of fishing ships with the list of illegal fishing vessels announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
For fishing ships leaving ports, local authorities have inspected marine equipment, lifesaving and firefighting equipment; communication and signal systems; cruise control device; fishing gear; and sailors.
According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, by July, the fisheries sector will have installed Movimar cruise monitoring equipment on the fishing vessels with lengths of 24m and above.
By 2020, this cruise-monitoring device will also have been installed on fishing vessels with a length of over 15m. When this equipment is installed, owners of fishing ships must turn it on 24 hours a day during the fishing process, to connect with the inland force for monitoring
Local authorities have also paid heed to organising campaigns to raising public awareness of regulations of the EC in reported fishing activities.-VNA
VNA
