IUU ‘yellow card’ removal progress in Quang Ninh remains slow

The number of licensed fishing vessels is still low

Quang Ninh People's Committee has currently directed departments and localities to focus on implementing solutions to overcome the shortcomings in the process of removing IUU ‘yellow card’.

It is known that since the beginning of 2022 the Fisheries Control Office at Cai Rong port has supervised 1,685 times of fishing vessels entering and leaving the port, of which 817 fishing vessels docked and 868 fishing vessels left the port. The total output of fishery products unloaded through the port is approximately 2,110 tons, mainly fish, squid and shrimp. Cai Rong Fisheries Control Office has collected 793 fishing diaries as well as fishery purchasing and transshipment diaries.

In the period of 2018-2022, the whole province detected 5,790 violations of fishing and fishery resource protection, sanctioned 5,754 violations, and collected fines of over VND 42.2 billion. Quang Ninh confiscated and discarded 34 fishing vessels along with many exhibits of violations, relocated and demolished 14 rafts and 4 illegal aquaculture establishments, organized to prevent and expel 469 fishing vessels and rafts of foreign fishermen violating Vietnam's sovereignty and performing illegally fishing activities.

Besides the achieved results, one of the matters that Quang Ninh province needs to resolve is to quickly issue operating licenses for fishing vessels of 6-12 m long.

There are 3,882 fishing vessels of this type under the management of the People's Committees of districts, towns and cities, accounting for 60.5% of the total number of ships in Quang Ninh; 3,686 ships have finished registration, reaching 94.9%, of which 2,307 fishing vessels are officially registered, 1,379 vessels are provisionally registered, and 196 vessels are unregistered; 2,043 vessels are licensed, accounting for 52.6%.

It can be seen that the rate of licensed 6 – 12 m fishing vessels holds a very modest figure. This type of fishing vessel with the largest number in Quang Ninh, operating mainly in the near-shore areas. The management area is large and fishing vessels are scattered in many places, causing difficulties in the authorities’ fishing vessel and output control work.

Reducing exploitation, increasing cultivation and conservation

On October 5, the interdisciplinary delegation led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien had a field inspection at Cai Rong port and worked with Quang Ninh People's Committee on the removal of IUU ‘yellow card’ issued by the EC.

Vice Chairman of Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee Pham Van Thanh said at the meeting that the province's anti-IUU work had achieved certain results, but he also acknowledged that there remained shortcomings as well as challenges that require them to overcome. “Quang Ninh needs the support of central agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.”

To be more specific, Quang Ninh has no fishing vessels seized and handled by foreign forces for violation. 100% of the 219 fishing vessels of 15m or more have equipped cruise monitoring devices and have been granted food safety certificates as well as fishing licenses; 556 fishing boats with a length of 12 – 15 m have signed food safety commitments; 4,771/4,771 fishing vessels of 6 m or more have had their information updated on the national fishing vessel database.

However, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that the IUU “yellow card” removal work in Quang Ninh was still slow. There were only a few signs of improvement after many inspections. The results were not up to expectation since there remained important warnings which do not guarantee the conditions for removal.

A prime example was that Quang Ninh still had a large number of fishing vessels of small size and capacity. The registration of fishing vessels and the issuance of fishing licenses were low, especially for the group of vessels under 12 m long. Fishing vessels of 15 m and above losing connection while in operation, small number of vessels and output controlled, asynchronous report data among units in the Fisheries Control Office, and exploitation not in line with cultivation and conservation make it difficult for the fishery sector of Quang Ninh to aim for sustainability.

Regarding the announcement of Cai Rong port, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that Quang Ninh could completely implement the temporary announcing process for Cai Rong port as a Type II fishing port and do it right this October. "Quang Ninh’s anti-IUU attempts, in the short term, is for the goal of removing the EC's ‘yellow card’, and in the long run this will be a solution for sustainable fisheries development, bringing high economic value to the province."