Combatting IUU fishing: No compromise for national interests

Many existing limitations and challenges

On the morning of July 2nd, the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province held a conference to review the implementation of IUU fishing prevention efforts and the implementation of Resolution No. 04 of the Supreme People's Court Council.

In her report at the conference, Ms. Pham Thi Na, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated that despite achieving many commendable results in IUU fishing prevention, there are still many existing limitations and challenges.

Specifically, there is still a risk of recurring incidents where fishing vessels and fishermen from the province engage in illegal fishing activities in foreign waters. In reality, provincial law enforcement authorities have identified serious incidents involving the removal of tracking devices, fishing vessels crossing maritime borders, and increasing instances of vessel disconnection...

As of June 2024, according to data from the national fisheries database (VNFishbase), Ba Ria - Vung Tau province still has 1,140 fishing vessels operating with "3 No" and 1,210 vessels that lack the necessary operational conditions.

"The situation of fishing vessels being bought, sold, transferred, and the management, control, and handling of these vessels among coastal provinces and cities is not yet strict and resolute. Some fishing vessels from Ba Ria - Vung Tau province have been sold and operated outside the province without proper ownership transfer as required. Violations related to IUU fishing activities persist, with vessels continuing to operate without being penalized.

Although provincial authorities have issued requests for coastal provinces and cities to cooperate in verifying and handling these issues, the results have been slow and incomplete", Ms Na noted.

Additionally, the average daily connectivity rate of fishing vessels through the current monitoring system is only about 64.74%. Since the fourth inspection period until June 2024, the disconnection of VMS by vessels over 15 meters, crossing maritime borders, continues to be common and complex.

Recently, some "3 no" fishing vessels and vessels with expired papers have been exploiting the night to illegally cross border control stations at sea.

Some fishing vessels operating in offshore areas have been inefficient in their fishing activities. Afterwards, the captains manoeuvre the vessels into turbulent waters, turn off the voyage monitoring devices, conduct fishing operations, and return to offshore areas to anchor.

The traceability of seafood origins remains limited, failing to prove transparency and legality in seafood exploitation. Law enforcement agencies have penalized only 94 out of 205 vessels, achieving a rate of 45.85%. Currently, 217 vessels have lost connection for between 6 hours and 10 days at sea, and investigations and verifications are ongoing.

Overcome the challenges at all costs

Representatives from law enforcement agencies, border guard forces, and local authorities have expressed opinions and proposed solutions and recommendations for coordinating and handling violations against IUU fishing regulations.

Recently, the Supreme People's Court issued a resolution to handle criminal acts related to IUU fishing, aiming to strengthen enforcement actions and deterrence, effective from August 1st.

"With this legal framework, localities are empowered to strictly handle violations, aiming for responsible and sustainable fishing practices, and joining efforts nationwide to remove the EC yellow card", said Mr Bui Thai Hung, Deputy Chief Judge of the Provincial People's Court.

As of now, the province has 4,448 fishing vessels. The number of fishing vessels has been reduced to align with the current stock of aquatic resources. The entire fleet of fishing vessels has been 100% updated and registered in the national database.

There are still 1,140 "3 no" fishing vessels across the province, which have been provisionally registered by local authorities, with 100% marked for management. The owners of these "3 no" vessels are instructed to prepare tax documents in advance and ensure they have complete documentation to comply with registration regulations.

Despite achieving significant achievements in combating IUU fishing in the region, according to Mr. Nguyen Cong Vinh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the results are still insufficient. He emphasized that combating IUU fishing is a critical task, impacting not only seafood export situations but also the country's international reputation.

Therefore, the province needs to focus intensively on urgent tasks and key solutions before the EC inspection delegation arrives. Despite numerous difficulties and challenges, resolute actions must be taken for the national interest.

"Units and localities must fulfil their responsibilities, authorities, functions, and tasks as stipulated by law, with a spirit of strict, transparent, and public handling, without any restricted areas...", emphasized Mr. Nguyen Cong Vinh.