EC Official's to Visit Vietnam to Review IUU Fishing Fight

Vietnamese offshore fishing vessels in the waters of Kien Hai, Kien Giang province. Photo: VNA

Officials from the European Commission (EC) will visit Vietnam again this October to check measures against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in coastal areas, VNA cited an official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries (VDF).

The trip aims to review the country's efforts in removing the “yellow card” warning issued by the EU in 2017, said Nguyen Quang Hung, VDF Deputy Director General, adding that the check will be conducted directly at fishing ports.

The EC officials will focus on four matters, namely regulatory framework, management of fishing ships, traceability of seafood products from point-of-catch to point-of-sale, and law enforcement and penalties for violations if any, Hung noted.

He further said that although Vietnam has made positive steps forward in fighting IUU fishing, challenges remain hampering progress. There have been insufficient efforts among many fishermen in keeping records of their fishing trips through catch log-books. Plus, there is a lack of funding to renovate fishing ports in poor conditions and provide them with the necessary equipment and supervising personnel.

The National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention will convene a meeting to urgently address the issues, he said.

The EC emphasizes that the first thing Vietnam must do to remove the “yellow card” warning is to end Vietnamese fishing vessels encroaching on foreign waters, he stated.

Four coastal provinces including Quang Ninh, Thua Thien-Hue, Ninh Binh and Ca Mau, have completed the installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) equipment on all fishing boats with a length of 15m and more, according to the VDF.

The percentage of fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more that have installed VMS equipment and have signals on related tracking system reached 93.4% as of June 30.

The installation of VMS equipment on fishing boats is one of the decisive solutions to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practice, particularly the illegal fishing in foreign waters.

Fishermen takes a tuna from their vessel in the coastal central province of Khanh Hoa. Photo: VNA

Vietnam's stance on IUU fishing is consistent. The Southeast Asian nation advocates the sustainable development of the marine economy and fishing industry, with the structure of ships and occupations being suitable to the allowable exploitation of aquatic resources and fully complying with regulations on combating IUU fishing and relevant international conventions and agreements to which Vietnam is a signatory or member.

These pacts include the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of December 10, 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks; and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.

Vietnam also has built and perfected a legal system on fisheries to ensure effectiveness and efficiency; implemented measures to reduce IUU fishing activities; and stop and prevent Vietnamese fishing vessels from illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters.

Relevant agencies and coastal localities regularly manage and run communication campaigns to instruct fishermen on how to comply with Vietnam's laws and respect foreign waters established in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Moreover, a community-based group consisting of households and individuals living and benefiting from aquatic resources in an area has been voluntarily participating in protecting aquatic resources and combating IUU fishing in the area. They are recognized by local State agencies.

Tran Dinh Luan, head of the ministry's VDF, said the role of the community-based group in protecting aquatic resources and fighting against IUU fishing is really important.

Thanks to the establishment of the community-based groups, many IUU violations are detected and prevented, contributing to saving the increasingly-depleted coastal aquatic resources, he said.

The community-based groups also help State agencies and local authorities to manage and exploit aquatic resources in a sustainable direction, he said.

EC acknowledges Vietnam’s efforts in preventing illegal fishing Through frank discussions, members of the European Commission's delegation were impressed with the progress Vietnam has made in implementing the EC’s recommendations.

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