Fines for fishing vessel owners placing trackers in other ships

(VAN)- Joint patrol missions by Kien Giang and Ca Mau forces have helped detect a number of fishing vessels whose trackers have been removed and placed in other ships, left at home, or on islands…

Placing the trackers in other vessels

As per the Coordination Plan between the Provincial Steering Committees on IUU of Kien Giang and Ca Mau in an effort to thwart illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing), the two provinces’ Fisheries Sub-Departments have developed a plan to conduct with the Police and Border Guards two 10-day joint patrols at-sea to check fishing activities.

Joint forces patrolling Kien Giang – Ca Mau waters check fishing vessels for tracking equipment, many violations detected. Photo: Trung Chanh. — Joint forces patrolling Kien Giang – Ca Mau waters check fishing vessels for tracking equipment, many violations detected. Photo: *Trung Chanh*.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, Head of Kien Giang Fisheries Sub-Department, said using fishing vessel tracking systems, the joint forces detected in An Son commune (Kien Hai Island District, Kien Giang) signal of connection emitted by several tracking devices, but observed no fishing vessels subject to the device installation.

Therefore, the forces checked every vessel and found out that one unnumbered vessel owned by Mr. Tran Van Tr. (living in Rach Gia city, Kien Giang) was equipped with two tracking devices. Mr. Tr. said he kept the devices for Mr. Tran Huy L. (An Minh district, Kien Giang).

Many fishing vessel owners respond to the regulations by removing the tracking devices and placing in other ships, or leaving them on the islands before sailing their boats to the seas. Photo: Trung Chanh. — Many fishing vessel owners respond to the regulations by removing the tracking devices and placing in other ships, or leaving them on the islands before sailing their boats to the seas. Photo: *Trung Chanh*.

Keeping up their work, the forces scrutinised an unnumbered vessel owned by Mr. L. who then had to hand over other 6 tracking devices, which were once installed in numbered vessels, and claim that he kept these for Mr. Duong Van Nh., owner of Nhon Nghia vessel.

Kien Giang Fisheries Sub-Department has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue a decision to hand down an administrative fine of more than VND 1.2 billion.

Similar violations were committed in Song Doc town (Tran Van Thoi district, Ca Mau), where signals were detected while no vessel was observed, and 4 devices once used in registered vessels were left on Tai Loc dock (Khanh Hung commune, Tran Van Thoi district). Ca Mau Fisheries Sub-Department has imposed a fine of VND 29 million and advised the Provincial People’s Committee to charge a violator VND 404 million.

Stiff fines on many violating fishing vessels

The patrols scouted the waters from Ha Tien (Kien Giang) to Rach Goc (Ca Mau), checked 78 fishing boats, discovered and registered 25 administrative violations (Kien Giang 13 cases, Ca Mau 12) with more than VND 408 million in fines.

Kien Giang – Ca Mau joint forces has detected many fishing vessels that violated the regulations, levying administrative fines totaling billions dongs. Photo: Trung Chanh. — Kien Giang – Ca Mau joint forces has detected many fishing vessels that violated the regulations, levying administrative fines totaling billions dongs. Photo: *Trung Chanh*.

In general, thanks to the forces’ frequent patrols and scrutiny and trawlers operating for other purposes or in other areas, several illegal fishing activities have been in decline, in particular fishing using banned practices such as electric pulse, prohibited tackle, pair trawlers, and fishing in unpermitted waters. However, vessel owners still remove and place the trackers in other ships or leave them at home, etc. in response to the authorities’ inspection.

Lawbreakers in Kien Giang and Ca Mau waters have been hit with fines of nearly VND 2.2 billion (Kien Giang over VND 1.5 billion, Ca Mau over VND 650 million) during the forces’ patrol and scrutiny missions.

Meagan Phan - D.T.Chanh - Trong Linh