Nghe An inspects compliance with regulations on combating illegal fishing
(Baonghean.vn) - In a rush to prepare for the inspection to remove the European Commission's (EC) yellow card on seafood, on the morning of October 5, the province's working group visited fishing ports in Hoang Mai and Quynh Luu to inspect the management procedures for fishing activities at sea.
Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) chaired the meeting. Attending the meeting were representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, representatives of the Provincial Border Guard Command, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Fisheries, Fishing Port Management Board, representatives of the leaders of Hoang Mai town and Quynh Luu district.
 |
Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu and the working group checked the VMS signal of fishing vessels through the monitoring system of the Fishing Port Management Board. Photo: Nguyen Hai |
Before working with the Steering Committee on IUU of the localities, comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the working delegation went to Quynh Phuong Fishing Port (Hoang Mai town) and Lach Quen fishing port, Tien Thuy commune (Quynh Luu district) to directly check the probability on the VMS route monitoring system of some fishing vessels of the province fishing in the sea areas, check the work of updating data on fishing vessels entering and leaving the port, catch output...
 |
The working group discussed with the Fishing Port Management Board and related members after the survey. Photo: Nguyen Hai |
At the meeting, representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported on some basic features of the implementation of regulations on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) according to the EC's recommendations, notably monitoring fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, catch output, the number of vessels installed with VMS monitoring equipment according to regulations, the situation of maintaining connections of fishing vessels during fishing; the issuance of food safety and hygiene certificates; the implementation of regulations onseafood traceabilityfishing; causes of disconnection of fishing vessels; inspection and guidance on procedures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing as directed by the province through propaganda as well as patrols and penalties...
As of September 30, 2022, Nghe An had 1,132/1,165 fishing vessels installed VMS, reaching a rate of 97.17%. However, on the fishing vessel monitoring system, the number of fishing vessels installed with VMS in the province was 1,081, reaching 92.79%. The total number of fishing vessels crossing the permitted boundary line at sea in the first 9 months of 2022 was 218. The total number of fishing vessels losing connection to VMS for more than 10 days at sea in the first 9 months of 2022 was 224. The number of fishing vessels losing connection to VMS for more than 10 days that have been handled is 200/224 vessels, 24 vessels have not been handled.
 |
Checking the infrastructure north of Lach Quen fishing port, Quynh Luu district. Photo: Nguyen Hai |
Based on the information inspected and evaluated by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, representatives of the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district, Hoang Mai town, the Provincial Border Guard, the Department of Fisheries... reported some additional situations on fishing in recent times; investment in anchoring and storm shelter infrastructure; cases of fishing vessels losing connection to VMS assigned by the province, the district authorities have contacted to propagate and remind...
In addition to some positive changes, representatives of the units also raised some difficulties in fisheries management according to the EC's recommendations such as narrow anchorage infrastructure, thin human resources; VMS monitoring infrastructure still has many shortcomings; some fishing vessels install VMS but do not activate it; many fishing vessels are transferred but do not change ownership to cut off VMS monitoring. Based on the above difficulties and shortcomings, representatives of the departments and branches also proposed to promote the role of local authorities in propagating and monitoring fishing vessels that violate the connection...
 |
Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu chaired and concluded the meeting. Photo: Nguyen Hai |
Concluding the working session, Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee acknowledged the efforts of the locality and departments and branches to create positive changes in the inspection of IUU compliance in the past time. Based on the recommendations and reflections, he requested that relevant departments and localities in the coming time need to re-check the reported data; assign the Border Guard force to re-check the situation of vessels maintaining connection on the journey to ensure honesty and substance; supplement forces to complete the task; strictly control the entry and exit of fishing vessels, fully update the data on fishing output; establish records to monitor fishing vessels that frequently lose connection; strengthen coordination in inspection to punish violating fishing vessels.
In addition, the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee requested to improve the quality of vehicle inspection; continue to have a plan to upgrade the infrastructure north of Lach Quen fishing port; develop a policy to support fishermen in fishing in accordance with the province's conditions; continue to consolidate records so that after propaganda and reminders, fishing vessels violating connections will be punished according to regulations.
