Nghe An: Handling many violations of coastal fishing activities

An interdisciplinary inspection team, with the main force being the fisheries control force, approached a fishing boat of fishermen to check documents and promote proper fishing practices. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Specifically, within 4 months, from the beginning of April to September 2021, implementing the Provincial People's Committee's plan on IUU inspection in 2021,interdisciplinary inspection team on coastal fishingconducted 7 sea voyages with 47 days of operation at sea. Through patrolling and monitoring, the team observed 612 vehicles, inspected 421 vehicles, of which 21 were inter-provincial fishing vessels and 400 were intra-provincial fishing vessels.

Based on the approach and inspection, the delegation propagated and reminded; at the same time, punished 28 vehicles and owners.fishing vessels fishing illegallyregulations of the Fisheries Law with a total fine of 164.49 million VND. Along with the fine, the inspection team also confiscated 6 electric generators, 1 trawl net, 90m of electric wire, 35m of slow-burning wire; and handled and cut off fishing gear illegally left in natural waters.

Coordinate with the Border Guard force to propagate, mobilize and then impose fines to both deter and force fishermen to comply in order to limit illegal fishing activities that deplete coastal aquatic resources. Photo: Nguyen Hai

In addition to the activities of the provincial interdisciplinary delegation, the border guards at the seaports in Quynh Phuong (Hoang Mai town), Quynh Thuan (Quynh Luu), Dien Thanh (Dien Chau) and Nghi Tan (Cua Lo town) also conducted a number of inspections and handling of illegal fishing activities in coastal areas, thereby handling dozens of cases of fishing vessels violating the law, confiscating dozens of octagonal cages, electric shock traps, and trawlers...

Seized electric generator on a fishing boat of Thanh Hoa fishermen going to Nghe An waters to fish. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Compared to previous years, this year, based on the direction of the province and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the inspection team operates more frequently and has a more focused and important inspection. Along with the propaganda solution to raise fishermen's awareness of preserving aquatic resources, the industry takes strong action to correct illegal fishing behavior, not following IUU regulations, to gradually guide fishermen to comply with the regulations on removing the EU's "yellow card".

Mr. Tran Chau Thanh - Head of Inspection and Legal Department, Nghe An Fisheries Sub-Department

Dredgers use small-mesh nets and the seafood they catch is from the seabed, which is not of high value, but the seabed habitat is seriously affected, and seafood resources are difficult to regenerate. Photo: Nguyen Hai

In general, coastal violations still focus on acts of incorrectly and incompletely recording fishing logs for fishing vessels with a maximum length of less than 24m;storing electric shock toolsto exploit aquatic resources; illegally dumping fishing gear into natural waters; crew members and people working on fishing vessels whose names are not in the crew register, who do not carry identification papers, and who write in the fishing vessel registration book in violation of regulations.

In addition, some fishing boats from other provinces do not fly the national flag or have paint markings to identify the type of fishing boat as prescribed.

Fisheries control forces salvage fishing gear abandoned by illegal boats in the area near Ngu Island and outside Dien Chau Bay. Photo: Nguyen Hai

From now until the end of the year, although the task plan of the provincial interdisciplinary team has ended, based on the assigned functions, the provincial fisheries control force with its fleet will still maintain a standing force. When detecting or receiving reports from fishermen about illegal fishing, the ship will immediately depart for inspection and handling according to regulations./.