Nghe An focuses on implementing tasks and solutions to combat illegal IUU fishing

Mr. Tran Xuan Hoc - Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Rural Development made a speech at the online meeting on combating IUU fishing between the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and 28 coastal provinces. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Based on the Prime Minister's Conclusion Notice No. 393/TB-VPCP dated December 27, 2022 at the online conference on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Document No. 8947/BNN to deploy a peak campaign against IUU fishing. In mid-January 2023, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Document No. 319/UBND to relevant departments, branches and localities.

Accordingly, in order to synchronously, effectively and efficiently deploy tasks and solutions to combat IUU fishing in Nghe An, contributing toremove "yellow card"of the European Commission EC, the Provincial People's Committee requests local departments and branches to deploy and implement well the key tasks and solutions in the immediate future.against IUU fishingto work with EC for the 4th time.

Check and remind fishermen to update information every time they fish at sea. Photo: Nguyen Hai

+Information and communication work: Regularly disseminate documents related to combating IUU fishing on the province's mass media; communicate and disseminate on the radio systems of coastal districts and towns. Diversify forms of dissemination and training on regulations; promptly provide complete regulations on combating IUU fishing to the fishing community.

Propagating through specific situations for fishermen is the most effective way. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Integrate the work of registration, inspection, licensing of fishing activities, inspection of activities of people and fishing vessels at ports, estuaries and at sea with the work of combating IUU fishing; request the local political system to get involved to mobilize relevant organizations and individuals.

+Fleet management and monitoring, inspection and control of fishing vessel operations: Review and count the total number of fishing vessels, complete 100% of registration, inspection, marking of fishing vessels, and issuance of fishing licenses,install journey monitoringVMS according to regulations; make a list of fishing vessels not participating in exploitation; update 100% of fishing vessel data into the National Fisheries Database; inspect and control 100% of fishing vessels entering and leaving ports...

Along with propaganda in the form of leaflets, in the near future, to create a change in awareness in IUU fishing, the form of propaganda and training will change and fishermen will have to sign a commitment every time they leave port to fish. Photo: Nguyen Hai

+Carry out verification, certification and traceability of seafoodDomestic exploitation according to the instructions in Circular 21/2018 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development ensures 100% of the dossiers of export shipments to the EU and other markets; reviews the points where fishing vessels dock to unload exploited aquatic products (fishing ports); organizes the supervision of 100% of exploited aquatic products unloaded through designated ports, inspects and controls fishing vessels entering and leaving ports according to regulations; ensures 100% of fishing vessels with a length of over 15m must participate in designated ports for unloading; ensures that VMS equipment operates continuously 24/24 hours from when fishing vessels leave the port until they arrive at the port...

Quynh Lap fishermen's boat leaves port to go offshore after completing all procedures. Photo: Nguyen Hai

+Law enforcement, administrative violation handling: Concentrate resources to prevent and endNghe An fishing boats illegally exploit seafoodin foreign waters; strengthen coordination between functional agencies and local authorities to launch peak periods of patrolling, inspecting, and controlling fishing vessel activities at sea and sanctioning 100% of IUU fishing activities according to regulations; verify and handle 100% of fishing vessels that do not maintain connection to VMS monitoring equipment according to regulations; investigate and sanction 100% of Nghe An fishing vessels violating illegal fishing in foreign waters and inform the media; fully update the results of sanctioning IUU fishing activities into the software system to monitor and manage administrative violation handling activities in this field.

Along with propaganda in newspapers, the provincial IUU Steering Committee regularly monitors and urges ports on the process of controlling entry and exit to fishing ports. Photo: Nguyen Hai

+Strengthen inspection, control and supervisionResponsibilities of agencies, functional forces and relevant organizations and individuals in implementing anti-exploitation tasks; periodically on the 20th of each month, report results to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Standing Agency of the Provincial Steering Committee for Anti-IUU Exploitation, for synthesis and consultation to submit to the Provincial People's Committee.