Vietnam Cracks Down on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing

	Fishermen Confident to Set Sail under Border Guard Law
	Soc Trang Province Resolved to Fight IUU Fishing

Implementing the peak stage for IUU fishing prevention (November 2-12), the Quang Binh Border Guard deployed 4 working groups, ships and boats of Squadron 2 and checkpoints, coordinating with other forces to conduct general inspection, control and supervision of activities to combat IUU fishing throughout the province.

The force does not allow fishing vessels to leave the port if they do not fully ensure procedures, papers, machinery and equipment as prescribed, focusing on out-of-province fishing vessels and those with a length of 15m or more, update fishery databases, fishing vessels install VMS equipment and trace the origin of fisheries.

The 5th inspection of the EC is considered an important time for Vietnam to remove the IUU "yellow card" warning (illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing) (Photo: TĐ).

The force determines the specific tasks of each level and each branch to bring forces to coordinate and directly support and solve problems for fishermen, coordinate with localities to firmly grasp the situation, review ships in the "high-risk" group to apply propaganda, education and deterrence measures, propagating and raising fishermen's awareness of law observance, focusing on acts that can be criminally handled, measures to manage, exploit, use and report in accordance with the provisions of the VMS monitoring system, through which units are proactive in natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue and protection of sovereignty and security of maritime borders.

At the peak stage, the Provincial Border Guard strengthens posts at sea and river estuaries to prevent fishing vessels from crossing border guard stations.

Priorly to that, from October 26 to 30, the Border Guard Command of Nghe An province organized a delegation to inspect the management and control of IUU fishing prevention and control at border control stations of coastal units (including Lach Con, Lach Quan, Lach Thoi, Lach Van, Cua Lo and Cua Hoi). Border Guard units on the sea route have organized 527 patrols, registered fishing vessels for 55,736 turns of vehicles / 272,807 turns of labor. There were 42 cases/19 subjects/26 vehicle owners charged with violations in the field of fisheries, sanctioning administrative violations of VND 147,500,000 (US $5,800).

Vietnam has sent a report to EC about the results of implementing EC's requirements and recommendations. The specific date and time that EC will conduct inspection and consider removing the yellow card for Vietnamese seafood is not confirmed.

According to the Department of Fisheries, this inspection is not only a quality test but also an opportunity for Vietnam to strengthen its position in the international market.

Vietnamese Embassy in Laos requests maximum support for Vietnamese citizens The Vietnamese Association in Vientiane has coordinated with the Lao Ministry of Health to contact trace F1, F2 among the Vietnamese community in the capital.

Efforts Redoubled towards Removal of EC's “Yellow Card” on IUU Fishing Experts have called the yellow card a significant risk for Vietnam’s seafood industry.