Vietnam makes efforts in developing sustainable fishery sector (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Hanoi (VNA) –Vietnam is making efforts to control the number of fishing vessels and developing a sustainable seafood industry while fighting against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The European Commission (EC) recognised Vietnam’s efforts and progress in implementing its recommendations on fighting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and affirmed its commitment to accompanying the country in developing sustainable fisheries and realising targets on transitioning to a green and circular economy, said an EC official.
EC Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius made the remarks at a meeting with Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan in Brussels on September 18.
The EC representative also said the EC wants to assist the Southeast Asian nation in becoming a model of sustainable fisheries development and in the campaign against IUU fishing in the world.
In the meeting, Hoan told Sinkevičius that Vietnam saw the yellow card of the EC not only as a challenge but also an opportunity for the local fisheries sector to switch from a small-scale, multi-sector, multi-species industry to a responsible and sustainable one. A comprehensive plan with specific goals and solutions has been developed and implemented across all levels, especially in coastal localities, with an active participation of authorities, organisations, fishing communities, associations, and seafood businesses.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan during a meeting with the European Commission (EC) in Brussel, Belgium (Photo: VietnamPlus)
So far, Vietnam has achieved notable results, including raising awareness in implementing legal provisions and EC recommendations on IUU fishing prevention and control in fishing communities, businesses, and society, according to the minister.
He went on to say that a comprehensive legal framework to manage fisheries and combat IUU fishing has been formed with the promulgation of the fisheries law. The management of fishing vessels has significantly improved, with a national database for fishing vessels established and operated. Currently, over 97.65% of offshore fishing ships (with a length of 15 meters or more) have installed tracking devices. Meanwhile, seafood origin tracing has been implemented throughout the supply chain, from quantity control at ports to export certificate issuance and raw materials control at processing plants.
In addition, a national database on administrative violations in fisheries has been formed. It provides data to 28 coastal localities, border and coast guard forces, contributing to a remarkable reduction in violations in foreign waters since 2015.
The minister stressed that Vietnam has clearly identified sustainable fisheries development as the key to addressing the EC's yellow card warning.
Based on those reasons, he suggested that the EU quickly remove the warning for Vietnam.
EC Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan during their meeting in Brussels on September 18 (Photo: VNA)
Minister Hoan also asked the EU to classify Vietnam as low-risk concerning the implementation of the EU's new regulations on combating deforestation. He also asked the EU to continue promoting trade and investment in Vietnam's agriculture, and support Vietnam in developing eco-friendly farming, circular economy, emissions reduction, livelihood transformation for fishermen, and sustainable forest management.
The Vietnamese minister also had working sessions with officials of the EC Directorate-General for the Environment (DG Environment) and Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). During the sessions, he underscored the Vietnamese Government's commitment to transforming agriculture in an eco-friendly and sustainable direction and developing a transparent farming industry as the nation steers towards becoming a major supplier of global food products./.
