Imposing maximum fines for IUU-violated fishing vessels

Remarkable efforts

On March 14, the working group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) led by Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien came to Binh Dinh to inspect the province’s progress on the prevention of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the area. Paying a visit to Hoai Nhon town, the MARD working group inspected the implementation of the investment subproject to build Tam Quan regional storm shelter along with the locality’s IUU fishing prevention.

According to Nguyen Tuan Thanh, Permanent Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh People's Committee, after more than 6 years of implementing solutions to combat IUU exploitation, particularly the 4th inspection by the European Commission (EC) in October 2023, Binh Dinh has fully implemented the instructions of the Standing Committee of the Secretariat, the Prime Minister, and the concluding opinions of the National Steering Committee and other recommendations from EC on countering IUU fishing.

“Through guidance in many forms, people's awareness of sustainable fisheries development has been significantly raised, complying with the provisions of the Law on Fisheries and law guiding documents as well as implementing solutions to repress IUU exploitation in the province.

“Ship owners and captains now strictly implement reporting one hour before the ship arrives or leaves the port, record and submit the fishing logbook according to regulations, always turn on the vessel monitoring device while in operation at sea; and follow the mobilization of the Port Management Board,” said Permanent Vice Chairman Nguyen Tuan Thanh.

Binh Dinh authorities strengthen the registration and licensing of aquatic exploitation. At the beginning of 2023, Binh Dinh has 5,795 fishing vessels operating in fisheries activities. The number of fishing vessels with exploitation licenses is 4,870 (84%). There are 925 fishing vessels (16%) without an exploitation license, mainly fishing vessels that are no longer in the locality due to being sunk, rotten or sold, and small vessels exploiting coastal and open areas.

Up to the present, Binh Dinh has deregistered 468 fishing vessels. By September 30, 2023, the number of registered fishing vessels is 5,360. The number of unlicensed fishing vessels has decreased to 558 vessels, accounting for 10.41%.

Binh Dinh also conducts a review and identifies 455 fishing vessels that regularly operate in the southern provinces and do not return to their localities every year. Among them, there are 375 fishing vessels regularly operating, 72 fishing vessels that have been sold outside the province but the owners have not yet completed the name transfer procedures and 8 fishing vessels whose owners have moved their residence out of the province.

The province has organized 8 interdisciplinary working groups to coordinate with southern provinces on the management of the province's fishing vessels, directly meets, propagates and mobilizes 350 fishing vessel owners and captains to sign a commitment not to violate foreign waters, and conducts unusual inspections on technical safety and conditions of fishing vessels participating in fisheries activities for 142 fishing vessels.

Facing reality to overcome existing limitations

Despite the achieved results, during the EC’s fourth inspection, Binh Dinh still reveals certain limitations. The situation of fishing vessels being seized by foreign countries has not completely ended. The management of fishing vessels under 15m operating in coastal areas outside the province seems lacking in terms of efficiency. Fishing port management boards find it difficult to monitor the output of fishing vessels arriving at the wharf.

After listening to the report, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien stresses that Binh Dinh needs to urgently resolve the mentioned shortcomings. “We must pay special attention to the work of tracing the origin of caught aquatic products. When the EC inspection team came here, they had complete records, so we can make no excuse. Binh Dinh must make it clear that fishermen must comply with recording fishing diaries, it cannot be done in a ‘memoir’ style to cope, but instead follow the common set of standards”.

“I hope Binh Dinh makes an example for the whole country to learn, especially the handling of administrative violations must be done to the maximum extent. If Vietnam is still unable to remove the IUU ‘yellow card’ in 2024, it will be considered a lost opportunity,” said Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien.

Concluding the working session, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien notes that units under MARD should closely coordinate with Binh Dinh and Hoai Nhon town in particular, make careful calculations to implement the subproject to build Tam Quan regional storm shelter. He also demands the province prepare documents and reports to serve future working sessions with the EC inspection team.