Leader of locality will be held responsible for any violated ship

Proposing criminal punishment for ship owners who repeat violations

During the last days of October 2022, the European Commission's Inspection Delegation returned to Khanh Hoa to inspect the implementation of this local's anti-IUU fishing activities. The EC inspection team assessed that Khanh Hoa had basically well-performed its tasks. However, Khanh Hoa authorities have yet to let down their guard. They will propagate and disseminate legal regulations on anti-IUU fishing work to ship owners, captains and seafood exporters in the area.

According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Chanh, Director of Khanh Hoa Sub-Department of Fisheries, the provincial functional forces will continue to improve local staff’s capacity to carry out anti-IUU tasks at Representative Offices of Fisheries Inspection and Control, the Management Board of fishing ports. Officials will also receive training to carry out the work of certifying the origin of caught fishery products.

Particularly in the handling of cases of IUU fishing violations such as crossing the sea boundary and disconnection of vessel monitoring system (VMS) at sea, Khanh Hoa is determined to issue the highest level of punishment for ships violating IUU fishing.

And in Binh Dinh, in order to prevent IUU fishing in the area, Mr. Ho Quoc Dung, Secretary of Binh Dinh Provincial Party Committee, suggested all levels and branches join in the action with the highest determination. If the local agency does not fulfill its responsibilities, the Binh Dinh Provincial Party Committee will have the leader of that locality held responsible. Binh Dinh clearly stated its resolution in the "180 days of action" against IUU fishing so that no more fishing vessels encroach on foreign waters.

“Binh Dinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development advises the Provincial People's Committee to drastically handle violating fishing boats. Owners of violating fishing vessels are publicly announced and marked in the list of fishing vessels violating IUU nationwide. Depending on the severity of the violation case, fishing vessels will be banned from fishing activities. The competent forces will perform administrative handling of violations, and in case of recidivism or calculated violations, criminal punishment will be put into consideration,” said Mr. Tran Van Phuc, Director of Binh Dinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Prioritizing resource allocation

Phu Yen province is currently paying close attention to the anti-IUU fishing tasks in the first quarter of 2023 and is preparing to work with the EC Inspection Delegation for the fourth time.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Phuong, Deputy Director of Phu Yen Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said, “In order to effectively implement the IUU fishing prevention work in the long term, the localities have had recommendations and proposals to competent agencies to continue perfecting the legal regulations and solidify state management on fishing activities.

Regarding regulations on responsibilities, the People's Committees of district and commune levels will be assigned to manage the monitoring work for fishing vessels within the vicinity, collect fishing reports, and supervise the output of fishery products unloaded through ports and wharves. Priority regulations on allocating funding and human resources will also be issued so that these units can meet the capacity conditions to perform state management.

As for Quang Nam, after the recent EC inspection, this province will continue to review the current status of the number of fishing vessels 15 m long or more, the number of fishing vessels without fishing permits, and promptly update the data concerning fishing vessel registration and issuance of fishing licenses into the Vnfishbase system in order to assist information search and management of fishing vessels as required.

Quang Nam also promotes coordinated patrolling and control activities on rivers and seas, strictly deals with violations of IUU fishing, and implements drastic solutions to prevent and handle in time cases of fishing vessels violating or showing signs of violations in the province and also in foreign seas.