PM Chinh asks for urgent solutions to combat illegal fishing

Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chinh has asked concerned organisations to implement urgent solutions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The effort aims to remove the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning.

In an official dispatch sent to ministries and localities on Saturday, PM Chinh said that after six years, the work against IUU fishing had achieved some positive results.

However, the EC Inspection Team’s fourth inspection from October 10 to October 18 this year showed many shortcomings and limitations, such as fishing vessels still violated declarations; illegal fishing in foreign waters continued to occur; local law enforcement was not strong enough, responsibilities of some organisations and individuals were limited, and delays in investigating and handling violations.

Besides, the management, monitoring and control of fishing vessels were not firm and strict.

If the above problems and limitations are not resolved quickly, the risk of the warning being raised to “red card” is very high, the dispatch says.

The PM asked every locality to arrange qualified and professional staff, remove the shortcomings, and resolutely handle organisations and individuals who intentionally commit illegal acts that affect national interests and the country’s image in the international arena.

Ministries, provinces and cities must implement appropriate communication activities both domestically and on international forums about Viet Nam’s efforts to combat IUU fishing, and give training on the issue to the fishing community.

Based on the EC’s recommendations at the fourth inspection, ministries must review, research, amend and supplement relevant legal regulations to ensure consistency with the legal system and conditions of Viet Nam.

Coastal provinces and cities should regularly inspect all fishing vessels in the area and strictly punish those not eligible for fisheries exploitation.

They are also responsible for directly guiding ship owners on registration, licensing procedures and updating of all fishing vessel data in the National Fisheries Database (VNFishbase).

They must ensure that all fishing vessels with a length of 15 metres or more entering and exiting the ports, including private fishing ports, must have complete documents with VMS equipment installed according to regulations.

A system to exchange information between localities will be set up to promptly prevent IUU fishing.

Concerned organisations’ duty is to strictly manage the certification of domestically exploited aquatic products.

Localities must review enterprises exporting seafood to the European market to ensure complete and legal records, with a special focus on shipments of yellowfin tuna, bigeye and swordfish.

An electronic system will be completed and put into use to check the origin of domestically exploited aquatic products.

Concerned ministries will prosecute organisations and individuals bringing fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally exploit foreign waters.

They will also negotiate, sign and set up hotlines between Viet Nam and Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines to cooperate in the work.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which is the standing agency of the National Steering Committee on IUU, is assigned to inspect, monitor and report to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, head of the National Steering Committee on IUU, on the work results.