Hai Phong offers 7 urgent solutions to combat IUU fishing

According to Hai Phong Department of Fisheries, currently, in the city, there are a total of 842 fishing vessels still operating and registered on the VnFishbase system, of which, there are 311 ships with the longest length from 6m to 12m, 210 ships from 12m - 15m, and 321 ships over 15m.

If divided by different fishing groups, the number of trawling vessels is 184, 244 are gill nets, 12 are fishing boats, 173 fishing nets, 102 logistics ships and 127 other ships. The number of workers participating in mining is nearly 5 thousand people. Regarding handling violations, in the first 2 months of 2024, the competent forces handled 13 cases of administrative violations with a total amount of more than VND 240 million, with violations such as: Using an expired food safety certificate for a fishing vessel, Failure to notify or incomplete notification of prescribed information to the fishing port management organization before entering or leaving the fishing port according to regulations,...

Particularly, regarding the act of not maintaining the operation of cruise monitoring equipment during activities at sea and not following the process in case the trip monitoring device is broken, the authorities have handled 6/13 cases with a total amount of VND 150 million.

To implement the urgent and key tasks and solutions on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated seafood exploitation (combating IUU fishing), since the beginning of 2024, the Fishing Port and Wharf Management Board has proposed 7 contents focusing on enactment.

In particular, continue to synchronously deploy tasks and solutions to combat illegal fishing; and bring exploitation activities and seafood logistics services at fishing ports into compliance with the Fisheries Law. The competent forces will effectively carry out activities in the peak period in April 2024 to contribute to removing the European Commission's "Yellow Card" warning for Vietnamese seafood.

Second, 100% of information about fishing vessels notified of arrival and departure from the port will be received and updated in the record book according to regulations; transferring 100% of information about fishing vessels requesting to arrive or leave the port to the working group for inspection, examination and control of fisheries at the fishing port.

Coordinating with authorities to control 100% of reported fishing vessels with actual entering of the port and anchoring within the fishing port waters. From the beginning of 2024, the Anti-IUU Fishing Department at Tran Chau Fishing Port was asked to focus on performing daily tasks.

Third is to check 100% of fishing vessel information announcing arrival and departure on the VNFishbase system; supervise 100% of seafood output from fishing vessels, purchasing vessels and transhipment vessels when loading and unloading through the port. Receive and fully check information on logbooks, fisheries exploitation reports, seafood purchasing and transhipment logbooks, and authenticate fishing vessel crew directory books according to authority.

On the other hand, updating data of fishing vessels arriving and leaving the port, monitoring output, issuing receipts for loading and unloading seafood through the port, confirm the origin of seafood on the VNFishbase system and daily production reporting software.

Fourth, carry out appraisal and issuance according to regulations for the receipt of loading and unloading seafood through the port (at the request of the ship owner) and confirmation of seafood raw materials - SC (at the request of businesses with aquatic products passing through the port).

Fifth, ensure environmental sanitation of fishing ports, and guide measures for food safety of aquatic products according to authority. Coordinate with competent authorities to prevent the illegal discharge of waste and acts causing food insecurity within the fishing port.

Sixth, conduct information and propaganda in forms appropriate to the practical situation, such as: an internal radio system at the fishing port and posting of regulations against illegal fishing at convenient locations for observation. In addition, we will distribute leaflets and discuss directly with fishermen, producers and businesses within the fishing port,... to rally fishermen not to perform IUU acts in seafood exploitation.

Finally, increase the application of information technology and digital transformation in fishing port management and proficiently use electronic traceability applications (eCDT). All officers, employees, and workers of the Fishing Port and Wharf Management Board are required to act decisively. The Working Group for Inspection, Examination and Control of Fisheries at Ngoc Hai Fishing Port receives information and performs tasks to ensure requirements 24/7.