Remove the EC yellow card: Fishermen must stop violating foreign waters

Promoting dissemination on IUU regulations

On May 29, in Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa), the Vietnam Fisheries Trade Union (VFTU) held a conference to disseminate information on the sea and islands, combat IUU fishing, and sign a welfare program for union members and fishermen of the fisheries trade union.

Mr. Do Tien Dung, Chairman of VFTU, said that the conference aims to continue promoting and raising awareness and understanding of the law on maritime sovereignty and to disseminate information on current maritime security and safety and on the prevention of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The conference also raised the responsibilities of each agency, unit and the citizens for the cause of the construction and protection of the national maritime sovereignty and security, associated with improving the efficiency of welfare activities for union members and employees, thereby contributing to building and consolidating a close relationship between trade unions and their members. VFTU distributed documents on legal dissemination and training related to the management of IUU fishing activities of the Department of Fisheries to the conference participants, including fishermen.

Mr. Tran Van Luan, Vice Chairman of VFTU, also informed about the IUU fishing situation, the yellow card warning of the European Commission (EC), and solutions to combat IUU fishing associated with the union members and fishermen of fisheries trade unions nationwide.

Accordingly, since October 23, 2017, the EC has issued a yellow card warning for Vietnamese seafood products exported to the EU market. By November 2019, the EC had reduced its recommendations to four, including: legal framework; monitoring, inspecting, and controlling fishing vessel activities and managing fleets; fisheries traceability from fishing; and law enforcement. After 5 years, Vietnam’s efforts on implementing solutions to overcome the EC's yellow card warning have now been recognized by the EC. However, there are still some shortcomings, so the industry has to put more efforts in the near future.

Regarding the solution to remove the EC yellow card, the Vice Chairman of VFTU said that it is necessary to stop fishing vessels violating foreign waters, along with effectively implementing the Fisheries Law and guiding documents on combating IUU fishing. Prioritize allocating funds, material facilities, and equipment to agencies assigned to combat IUU fishing; consolidate apparatus organization; supplement human resources and other material resources for Fishing Port Management Boards, Sub-Department of Fisheries, Fisheries Surveillance, Inspectors, etc.

As for the fisheries trade unions, it is necessary to strengthen the dissemination of the law among union members and fishermen. Along with that, the executive boards of the grassroots fisheries trade unions cooperate with local authorities in propagating, mobilizing, and disseminating the law on IUU fishing prevention work to fishermen, especially sanctions for handling violations; propagating and mobilizing fishermen to sign commitments not to violate IUU regulations; at the same time, timely reward and encourage grassroots union members and unions with good achievements in IUU prevention work, with no violations caused by fishing vessels or members of the union, etc.

Major General Pham Van Quang, a representative of the Navy, said that in order to protect the country's maritime sovereignty, the Navy currently maintains many ships on the seas, along with implementing the directive of the Prime Minister on combating IUU fishing.

In particular, over the past time, the Navy has implemented many programs to accompany fishermen to achieve the objectives, including raising fishermen's awareness about maritime sovereignty and complying with the law when fishing at sea; supporting fishermen in fishing activities such as donating life jackets, life-saving tools, national flags, and medicines; protecting fishermen from natural disasters and epidemics; mobilizing fishermen and functional forces to protect national sovereignty, etc.

Mobilizing more resources to support fishermen

Last time, VFTU made efforts to coordinate the work of dissemination about the sea and islands, proposing policies to support and take care of the welfare of the union members and fishermen of the fisheries trade union.

Accordingly, VFTU actively developed and signed a cooperation agreement with the Directorate of Fisheries and the direct superior unions of some grassroots fisheries trade unions in Quang Ninh and Quang Binh.

Along with that, VFTU advises the Standing Committee of the Vietnam National Union of Agriculture and Rural Development Workers and the Labor Confederations of provinces and cities with the grassroots fisheries trade unions to sign a program of coordination and direction of activities and promptly issue documents to protest against the unilateral ban on fishing in the South China Sea by foreign countries as well as acts of obstructing, driving away, attacking, arresting people, and looting fishing net tools and assets of union members and fishermen. The trade union has also proposed that the state's authorities take measures to protect union members and support fishermen who conduct offshore fishing.

In particular, VFTU actively builds handbooks to disseminate the law on sea and islands, mobilize union members and ship owners to IUU combating commitment. As well as coordinating with domestic and foreign charitable agencies and organizations to build houses of gratitude, awarding national flags, life jackets, and medical cabinets to union members and fishermen on offshore fishing vessels.

At the conference, VFTU signed cooperation agreements with enterprises such as Son Ha International Corporation, Bao Viet Insurance Corporation, and Minh Hong Phuc Vietnam Co., Ltd., and Vien Dong Seafood Co., Ltd. The agreements aim to create favorable conditions for union members to access products and services at preferential prices. As well as mobilizing more resources, both material and spiritual, to help union members and fishermen confidently reach out to sea, contributing to firmly protecting the country’s maritime sovereignty.

At the conference, three enterprises, including Son Ha International Corporation, Bao Viet Insurance Corporation, and Minh Hong Phuc Vietnam Co., Ltd., presented 30 gifts to the fishermen of the grassroots fisheries trade union in Khanh Hoa province.