Quang Tri Province to fully address 'three-no' fishing vessels by October 15

After nearly seven years of efforts to lift the EC's “yellow card” warning, Quang Tri Province has achieved positive results in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Nearly 99% of the local fishing vessels have installed vessel monitoring systems (VMS). More than 69% of fishing vessels have received their fishing licenses; over 99% of vessels have received their markings; the VnFishbase software system is fully and regularly updated. Additionally, vessel owners are compliant in submitting fishing logs and advance notices at ports, with all vessel owners notifying at least one hour before arriving at port.

Nearly 4,200 fishing vessels docked at designated ports in Quang Tri Province in the first eight months of 2024. Additionally, these ports logged more than 3,800 departures, and verified their respective crew lists. Local authorities conducted 950 inspections on departing vessels and over 930 inspections on arriving vessels. Notably, no vessels from Quang Tri Province have been detained for illegal fishing activities in foreign waters; no vessels crossed unauthorized fishing boundaries or lost VMS connections for more than 10 days at sea.

However, several fishing vessels in Quang Tri continue to avoid docking at designated ports to unload their catch. This behavior arises, in part, from the slow construction progress of the Cua Tung and Cua Viet fishing ports. The entry channel to Cua Tung port is also frequently blocked by sand deposits, barring entry for arriving fishing vessels.

The province currently hosts nearly 380 fishing vessels measuring between 6 and 15 meters in length that remain unregistered, uncertified, and without fishing licenses due to the owners' failure to comply with regulations on vessel construction, purchase, and sale. The process of registering, certifying, and licensing these vessels has been slow, and vessel monitoring activities at entry points remain unsatisfactory.

During a meeting with the fisheries sector, Vice Chairman Ha Sy Dong requested local departments, agencies, and the People's Committees of coastal districts and Con Co Island to mobilize resources and implement comprehensive tasks and measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Quang Tri Province will hold the leaderships of party committees and local governments accountable for the results of anti-IUU fishing efforts. Furthermore, the local government will take strict legal action against organizations or individuals that violate IUU regulations.

Vice Chairman Ha Sy Dong instructed the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to collaborate with other departments and local governments in the registration, certification, and licensing processes, with the aim of fully addressing the 378 'three-no' fishing vessels by October 15. This initiative will ensure that all local fishing vessels meet the necessary conditions for marine operations. On the other hand, local authorities must improve their use of the vessel monitoring system in order to address violations in a timely manner, with a focus on preventing violations in foreign waters.

According to Vice Chairman Ha Sy Dong, Quang Tri Province will implement an electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT) and collaborate with relevant agencies to verify and penalize violations concerning VMS disconnection, infringement of unauthorized fishing boundaries, and the sale or transfer of fishing vessels without the necessary documentation as required by regulations.

According to a report made by the Steering Committee on Anti-IUU Fishing in Quang Tri, the province currently houses over 2,600 fishing vessels with a total capacity of approximately 148,000 CV. Among these, 186 out of 188 fishing vessels have installed a vessel monitoring system. Additionally, the number of registered vessels have reached over 86% of the total.

To date, Quang Tri Province has issued fishing licenses to 483 out of 776 fishing vessels; marked 755 out 776 vessels; updated the VnFishbase with data on 671 registered vessels, 579 licensed vessels, and performed inspections on 279 vessels. Furthermore, the total number of fishing vessels issued with a valid food safety certificate has reached 177.