Tra Vinh (VNA) - Through concerted efforts to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the coastal Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has so far seen no instances of local vessels and fishermen violating foreign waters, according to Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Le Van Han.
The official further outlined that Tra Vinh province will conduct intensified patrols and inspections across the maritime zones under its management. IUU fishing-related violations are set to incur strict penalties, with all administrative sanctions promptly recorded in a monitoring and management software system dedicated to fisheries enforcement.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has distributed a handbook detailing IUU fishing regulations to ship owners, captains, and fishermen, said Deputy Director Tran Van Dung.
According to him, under the collaboration with relevant units, comprehensive measures are implemented to prevent local fishing vessels and fishermen from engaging in illegal activities in foreign waters. Emphasis is placed on raising awareness among ship owners and captains regarding compliance with regulations governing offshore fishing.
Tra Vinh has issued fishing licenses to 857 vessels, with all of the 253 operating ones equipped with tracking devices. Authorities have conducted 23 inspections targeting fishing activities at sea involving 1,086 vessels, hence the detection of 34 violations and fines totaling over 420 million VND (16,501 USD).
Dinh An, Tra Vinh’s only designated export-certified fishing port, has issued 664 certificates of origin for harvested seafood totaling 9,816 tonnes and 1,410 confirmation certificates for 32,956 tonnes of raw seafood materials.
In September, the European Commission's inspection team is scheduled to make its fifth visit to Vietnam to evaluate the country’s IUU fishing prevention efforts./.
