II. Making efforts to eliminate hotspots for IUU violations

IUU violation spots

Bài liên quan

I. Stop paying bribes for illegal fishing

According to the Department of Fisheries Control, in 2022 there were approximately 87,000 fishing vessels (ranging in length from 6 to 24 meters) operating in 31 coastal provinces and localities. Eight out of eleven provinces in the Mekong Delta had approximately 20,000 vessels, representing over 23%. Ca Mau and Kien Giang had nearly 15,000 fishing vessels between them, with Kien Giang's nearly 10,000 vessels constituting the biggest fishing fleet.

It is evident that the Southwestern sea is the busiest fishing ground, and thus the region where the most IUU violations occur, compelling local authorities to increase inspection, supervision, management, and handling, as well as promote communication.

In the first six months of 2021, Kien Giang sanctioned 16 cases of illicit, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, involving 42 individuals and 21 fishing vessels, for a total fine of 4.4 billion VND. In the second quarter of 2021, there were 22 incidents involving 30 fishing vessels suspected of violating foreign waters and apprehended by foreign nations.

Kien Giang's Steering Committee on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing acknowledged that IUU fishing activities in the area are still quite complex, that the province's anti-IUU fishing work has not met the set requirements, and that the situation of fishing boats illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters has not been completely eliminated. The treatment of fishing vessels displaying signs of violation in foreign waters is still marred by numerous deficiencies and restrictions.

Ship owners and captain with defects deliberately shirk responsibility, expunge voyage records on maritime equipment, and remove voyage monitoring equipment, etc.

The provinces of Kien Giang and Ca Mau, the Command of Coast Guard Region 4, the Department of Fisheries Inspection Region V, and the 28th Border Guard Squadron held a conference on September 12 to debate measures for general inspection of fishing vessels at sea and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The Conference resolved to implement numerous solutions to end IUU fishing in the Southwestern sea, thereby encouraging the European Commission (EC) to remove the "yellow card" warning for the Vietnamese seafood industry. Simultaneously, the parties concentrate on coordination and synergy to prevent and stop early and from a distance, as well as to rigorously manage pertinent areas and topics.

The units will collaborate to inspect and evaluate all operational fishing vessels, with a focus on those over 12 meters in length, as well as to update and communicate information regularly with all stakeholders. Increase the strength of patrol, inspection, and control forces on the ground; intensify the registration, inspection, installation, administration, monitoring, and supervision of VMS, particularly for high-risk fishing vessels.

This is also the mission of Working Group No. 7 (Region V Fisheries Supervision Department) aboard the KN-506, which is patrolling waters in the southwestern area.

Communication and mobilization are in the lead

On September 17, the KN-506 vessel stopped its motor to lower the canoe so that the patrol party could approach the dual fishing vessel with the registration number KG-91649-TS. Helsman Nguyen Van Muoi Hai, 37 years old, was questioned.

Mr. Muoi Hai's fishing vessel violated one of the mandatory regulations for ships when traveling offshore by failing to take down a fishing journal. With this error, the working group compiles a list of administrative violations with specific fine amounts based on the framework for penalties.

According to the form, the officer was given the key to the "Fishing Diary" book, but he complained that he did not know how to document the diary. Up to now, according to habit, every time the net is pulled up, employees only classify, clean and then place the seafood in the storage cellar. When the amount of fish captured is sufficient, they will contact the purchasing ship before continuing to float at sea for many months.

According to regulation, the surveillance team requested the helsman to contact the shipowner and transfer funds into the account. As soon as the bank verifies the transaction, the Fisheries Control team issues the invoice, completes the record, recounts it to the offender, and then passes over the penalty record. This case's processing duration is approximately two hours.

Fisheries Surveillance officers explain and communicate regulations and sanctions to crew members in order for them to understand and comply with their implementation during the course of working and exchanging. If the violation persists, the penalty will be more severe than the initial offense.

"The majority of our fishermen have limited knowledge and spend a significant amount of time at sea (from six months to a year before returning to land), so they do not prepare sufficient documents or their licenses expire, and they decline to return to the mainland to supplement or extend these documents. These errors are the result of lack of awareness; we communicate so that others can comprehend.". Mr. Tran Nam Chung, chief of the working group, explained that the punishment must be severe so that the law will come to life, people will not repeat the offense, and so that people will remember and teach each other to avoid and not repeat it.

Mr. Chung almost bellowed during the telephone conversation between the command ship and the patrol team on the motorboat due to the ocean waves and engine noise: "Remind everyone to hoist the national flag in the correct format and location. Give people a new national flag if theirs is worn or damaged, and instruct them to rigorously comply or face a fine."