A shift in mindset is necessary for the removal of IUU yellow card

The Directorate of Fisheries under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with Thanh Hoa province's Sub-Department of Fisheries and Sam Son City People's Committee, organized a training session on the afternoon of November 17 for fishermen on the protection of Vietnam's maritime sovereignty.

During the training session, fishermen from Sam Son city, Thanh Hoa province watched documentary films on the history of Vietnam's maritime sovereignty, the current state of fisheries exploitation in Thanh Hoa province and in Vietnam as a whole. The legal framework related to maritime sovereignty, fisheries, support policies for offshore fishermen, anti-IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing, were also covered.

Severe penalties for fishermen violating in prohibited fishing zones

Thanh Hoa province currently houses nearly 6,000 fishing vessels, including over 1,100 vessels operating offshore, 709 vessels operating in estuarine areas, and 4,000 vessels operating in coastal areas.

The province has recently strengthened its public awareness campaigns in combination with patrols, inspections, and penalties for violating fishing vessels. Thanks to this concerted effort, violations in fisheries exploitation have been promptly detected, prevented, and addressed.

The Thanh Hoa Provincial IUU Steering Committee organized three inspections within the first nine months of 2023 to combat illegal fishing in coastal districts, towns, and cities, as well as fishing ports throughout the province. Additionally, the Committee canceled the registration of 538 fishing vessels and handled 76 administrative violations in the fisheries sector, with total fines exceeding 1.5 billion Vietnamese dong. However, there are fishing vessels from Thanh Hoa province still at risk of violating in foreign waters.

With the aim of effectively implementing the anti-IUU fishing task, Thanh Hoa province's government has strengthened the management of fishermen and vessels before departure and on arrival. Accordingly, fishing vessels must provide complete documents, and have fully installed technical safety equipment as well as the voyage monitoring system as prescribed.

Additionally, the local government has distributed over 2,000 leaflets containing information on anti-IUU fishing to fishermen. They have organized commitment signings with 180 vessel owners, focusing on the importance of keeping vesseml monitoring system online and preventing violations in foreign waters. Moreover, Thanh Hoa provine has conducted patrols and inspections on over 10,000 fishing vessels.

The Border Guard Command of Thanh Hoa province will continue to promote and disseminate anti-IUU regulations through various forms and methods to the fishing community. The unit will collaborate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and coastal governments to conduct patrols, inspections, and handle violations by fishing vessels. Measures will be implemented to prevent fishing vessels from violating in foreign waters. Additionally, the Border Guard Command will update the results of administrative violation handling on the vessel monitoring system.

According to local inspections and reviews, the province currently has 735 vessels lacking required documents and vessel monitoring systems. Accordingly, 23 vessels have not installed vessel monitoring systems, 82 vessels have not been granted food safety certifications or possesses expired certifications, 87 vessels possesses expired fishing licenses, 543 vessels possesses expired registration certificates, and 87 vessels are at a high risk of IUU violations.

During a seminar on the protection of maritime sovereignty, Thanh Hoa province's Sub-department of Fisheries highlighted common violations that fishermen often face, such as fishing ground violations, fishing license violations, failure to keep fishing logs, violations with regards to the display of the national flag, and failure to report the volume of exploited seafood. These violations are strictly fined, ranging from a few million Vietnamese dong to hundreds of million Vietnamese dong, depending on the severity of the violation.

Mr. Nguyen Van Trung, Head of Inspection - Legal Affairs under Thanh Hoa province's Sub-department of Fisheries, emphasized: "If fishermen violate in foreign waters, in addition to administrative fines, they will also face additional penalties, including the confiscation of fishing vessels, seizure of exploited seafood, revocation of their fishing licenses, and mandatory payment of repatriation fees for the vessel. The case of fishing vessel owner Nguyen Van Tuan from Quang Xuong district, Thanh Hoa province being fined 932 million Vietnamese dong for violating fisheries exploitation regulations is a lesson for local fishermen. This is a severe penalty and can lead to bankruptcy for the vessel owner. As a result, fishermen must pay attention and comply with the regulations on fisheries exploitation to protect their rights."

At the training session, representatives from the Thanh Hoa province's Sub-department of Fisheries provided detailed guidance to fishermen on the procedures for departure and port entry (fishing vessels with a minimum length of 15 meters must adhere to designated docking and departure regulations), inspection and submission of fishing logs, reporting of fishing activities, compliance with the specified profession and fishing ground as prescribed under the license, prevention of the use of explosives and electric shock for fishing, recording and submitting fishing logs to the Port Management, continuous maintenance of the vessel monitoring system's connectivity throughout the voyage, warnings against crossing permitted boundaries at sea, and the correct display of the national flag on the vessel in accordance with current regulations.

Furthermore, the local government has recommended fishermen to adhere to commitments in preventing violations in foreign waters, to ensure compliance with fisheries exploitation regulations. On the other hand, local governments have compiled a list of vessels at high risk of IUU fishing violations which frequently operate outside the province, to bring them under special monitoring and management.

Supporting fishermen in offshore activities

According to the Thanh Hoa province's Sub-department of Fisheries, in addition to the government's support policies, the province has enacted several policies to assist offshore fishermen and fishing vessels.

In 2021, the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Council issued a mechanism and policy to support the purchase of Vessel Monitoring System and free subscription to VMS services for vessel owners with a minimum length of 15 meters within the province.

The beneficiaries of the aforementioned support policies encompass organizations, households, and individuals who are legal owners of fishing vessels with a minimum length of 15 meters registered within Thanh Hoa province. The support amount for purchasing VMS equipment is 10 million Vietnamese dong per fishing vessel. Subsequently, all local fishing vessels with a minimum length of 15 meters engaged in fisheries exploitation have complied with the requirement to install VMS equipment.

Fisherman Nguyen Huu Hai from Sam Son city, Thanh Hoa province shared, "The government's support for installing vessel monitoring systems makes it convenient for fishermen to exploit marine resources. This system assisted us in navigating and preparing for the weather in the fishing grounds. Most importantly, it helps prevent vessels from violating in foreign waters during our fishing trips, and facilitates communication with local governments in case of emergencies."

According to the Thanh Hoa province's Sub-department of Fisheries, the installation of vessel monitoring systems has enabled the local government to inspect and trace the origin of seafood. Additionally, the system plays a crucial role in preventing illegal fishing activities, maintaining order and security at sea, and protectiong Vietnam's maritime sovereignty.

With the goal of supporting fishermen in production and improving the quality and price of caught seafood, Thanh Hoa province has issued policies to financially support the upgrade and renovation of storage holds for service vessels and offshore fishing vessels. Accordingly, the province will support an amount equivalent to 40% of the storage hold value, not exceeding 240 million Vietnamese dong per vessel. In 2022, Thanh Hoa province supported the construction of six storage holds, and in 2023, 16 vessel owners have registered for new storage holds, who are currently undergoing the necessary procedures to receive financial support.

According to the Thanh Hoa province's Sub-department of Fisheries, the implementation of these support policies for local fishermen engaged in fisheries exploitation has exhibited its effectiveness. Namely, the policies not only encourage fishermen to venture offshore but also contribute to protecting Vietnam's maritime sovereignty.

Mr. Ta Minh Phuong, Head of the Office of the Department of Fisheries Surveillance, stated that participants in the training sessions will gain knowledge and awareness regarding the protection of Vietnam's maritime sovereignty. They will also develop a sense of compliance with legal regulations regarding fisheries exploitation, with an emphasis on preventing violations in foreign waters.

Moreover, participants are encouraged to venture safely offshore, efficiently exploit seafood resources at sea and Vietnam's exclusive economic zone, and develop a fisheries economy in addition to protecting Vietnam's maritime sovereignty.