Applying information technology to combat IUU fishing

To prepare well the conditions to welcome the European Commission's (EC) Inspection Delegation to Vietnam for the 4th inspection against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (anti-IUU fishing) in October 2023, coastal provinces and cities across the country have been focusing on drastically and synchronously implementing many solutions. Especially, put an end to the situation of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters. Consequently, contributing to the promotion of sustainable fisheries development.

Ca Mau province is considered one of the four key fishing grounds in the country, with large seafood reserves, rich in types. In recent years, the fishing industry at sea, especially offshore fishing in Ca Mau, has developed very strongly.

The province currently has more than 4,100 fishing boats, with 1,515 fishing vessels with the largest length of 15 m or more having been installed with cruise monitoring equipment according to regulations, reaching a rate of 100%. Thanks to good control measures, since the beginning of the year, Ca Mau has had no fishing vessels violating foreign waters, contributing to ensuring the good implementation of effective anti-IUU regulations.

Recently, Ca Mau has been one of the pioneer localities in applying information technology in the management and control of fishing vessels in the province through two inter-connected management software to control fishing vessels. Which, there is Excel Online data table application software on the Google Sheets platform for localities to report and store information about fishing vessel registration or registration expired, fishing vessels that lost connection signal for 10 days or more, and fishing vessel lying on the shore,... Thereby, creating a database for IUU Steering Committees of provinces and districts to check and direct to promptly overcome limitations.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Trieu, Deputy Director of the Ca Mau Provincial Fisheries Sub-Department, said: “We provide a system database on the software. Accordingly, there is no need for paper reports anymore, but online data entry. Then we receive the entry and check it properly and throughout as instructed, if not, we will send it back for supplement and repair".

In addition, the authorities of Ca Mau province regularly inspect and urge the implementation of anti-IUU work. As a result, the management of fishing vessels in and out of the port, control of fish output at the wharf, and other issues have made more progress than before.

Mr. Phan Hoang Vu, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ca Mau province shared: The propaganda and dissemination of legal regulations against IUU fishing has been done very well in the locality over the past time. At the same time, the Central Government is also very interested in this issue, the National Steering Committee has sent specialized forces to coordinate with localities. Up to this point, most people involved in marine exploitation have understood how the laws of Vietnam and foreign countries are on this issue.

“It can be said that up to this point, Ca Mau province has effectively implemented. In the coming time, the province will maintain the implementation so that Ca Mau's fishing vessels no longer exploit foreign waters, contributing to the EC's early withdrawal of the 'yellow card' for Vietnamese fisheries", Mr. Vu is determined.