Ensuring the safety of people and fishing vessels in maritime areas.

(Baonghean)Directive 06/2014/KT-UBND dated April 23, 2014, on strengthening the management of fishing vessels and ensuring the safety of people and fishing vessels in Nghe An province engaged in fisheries activities in the sea areas:

In recent years, the registration, inspection, and management of fishing vessels have seen many positive changes. The fishing fleet has developed in a modern direction, ensuring safe and efficient offshore fishing, contributing to the economic development of coastal areas.

However, many fishing vessels going out to sea lack safety equipment such as lifebuoys, signal lights, and communication devices, and have not been painted, marked, or had registration numbers affixed, leading to a number of serious accidents, especially in offshore areas, affecting the lives and property of fishermen.

To address the above situation, and to strengthen the registration, inspection, and management of individual establishments involved in the construction of new fishing vessels, as well as to ensure the safety of people and fishing vessels operating in Nghe An province, especially in offshore waters, the Provincial People's Committee requests the Directors of relevant departments, heads of agencies, Chairmen of the People's Committees of coastal districts and towns; and organizations and individuals engaged in fishing and new fishing vessel construction to implement the following:

1. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development:

a) To organize and supervise the management of fishing vessels, ensuring the safety of people and fishing vessels from Nghe An province operating in the sea areas.

b) Direct the Sub-Department of Fisheries Exploitation and Protection to implement the following:

- Strengthen propaganda, education, and dissemination of knowledge on flood and storm prevention, maritime safety procedures, regulations on signaling and vigilance during voyages and fishing at sea, especially at night. Provide fishermen with complete information on communication frequencies and telephone numbers of agencies responsible for flood and storm prevention and search and rescue so that fishermen can contact them in case of incidents.

- Closely coordinate with border guard forces to control and resolutely prevent fishing vessels from going out to sea if they lack sufficient lifebuoys, painted and marked license plates, and safety equipment; require fishermen to equip themselves with sufficient communication equipment as stipulated in the Regulations on "Information for fishing vessels operating at sea" (Circular No. 15/2011/TT-BNN dated March 29, 2011, of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development).

Strengthen training on fishing vessel management, registration, inspection, issuance of fishing licenses, and technical requirements and supervision during the construction of new fishing vessels for officials of the People's Committees of districts and towns, and owners of fishing vessel construction and modification facilities that have been delegated the management of small-capacity fishing vessels by the Provincial People's Committee according to Decision 103/2007/QD-UBND dated September 11, 2007, of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

Gradually encourage fishermen not to use excessively old or dilapidated vessels (over 15 years old), or vessels with old engines for operation in distant waters, and prohibit the installation of engines of unknown origin.

Strengthen the management of technical safety for fishing vessels from the design approval stage; implement technical safety inspection and monitoring procedures according to the Regulations on Fishing Vessel Registration issued with Decision No. 96/2007/QD-BNN dated November 28, 2007, by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; absolutely do not issue technical safety certificates to fishing vessels that do not meet safety standards. Strictly manage facilities for building and modifying fishing vessels.

- Evaluate, learn from experience, and continue to implement and expand the model of production solidarity groups at sea to support each other in production and in the event of accidents, incidents, or natural disasters. Monitor and compile statistics on fishing vessel accidents, analyze the causes, summarize and report monthly, quarterly, and annually.

2. Border Guard Command: Strictly inspect and control vessels at estuaries, resolutely preventing fishing vessels from going out to sea without registration, inspection, painted license plates, sufficient lifebuoys, communication equipment, and safety equipment as required.

3. Department of Finance: Advise the Provincial People's Committee on the funding allocated to the Fisheries Exploitation and Protection Sub-Department to organize training, propaganda, inspection, control, and handling of violating vessels.

4. Department of Information and Communications, Nghe An Radio and Television Station, Nghe An Newspaper:

In coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, coastal localities are strengthening information and communication efforts regarding the management of fishing vessels, ensuring the safety of people and fishing vessels from Nghe An province operating in the sea areas.

5. People's Committees of coastal districts and towns:

a) Conduct a review and inventory of fishing vessels and accurately determine the number of fishing vessels that are prohibited from development (if any), and newly built fishing vessels that have not been approved by competent authorities according to the regulations in Circular No. 02/2006/TT-BTS dated March 20, 2006 of the Ministry of Fisheries (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and Directive No. 54/2008/CT-BNN dated April 21, 2008 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

b) Assess and identify the causes, clarify responsibilities for the emergence of fishing vessels that are prohibited from development, and propose solutions to definitively address this phenomenon.

c) Review, compile, and update the number of small fishing vessels and report to the Fisheries Exploitation and Resource Protection Sub-Department on the 10th of each month for monitoring and management.

6. Ship owners, facilities for building and modifying fishing vessels:

a) Strictly comply with the registration and inspection of fishing vessels, and fully equip them with safety equipment as prescribed in Circular No. 02/2006/TT-BTS dated July 13, 2007, of the Minister of Fisheries (now the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development).

b) Painting, marking, and affixing license plates as prescribed; no new fishing vessels with a power output of less than 30 horsepower (CV) for all types of fishing, or less than 90CV for trawling, shall be built.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for urging implementation, monitoring, and reporting to the Provincial People's Committee on the implementation.

Directors of relevant provincial departments and agencies, and chairpersons of the People's Committees of coastal districts and towns are requested to seriously implement this Directive.