Inspection of Illegal Fishing Activities

According to Circular 02, the subjects to be inspected are fishing vessels providing seafood raw materials for processing and export to markets that require certification of harvested seafood.

Inspection Agency: Directorate of Fisheries/Provincial Fisheries Sub-Department of coastal provinces and cities.

Simultaneously, Circular 02 also stipulates that when conducting inspections, the following principles must be ensured:

- Inspection according to the plan or unexpectedly;- Based on the risk assessment principle, ensuring that inspections are not less than 5% of the total number of port arrivals for fishing vessels and transshipment vessels with demersal fish and small pelagic fish, crabs, and 20% for tuna products.

The head of the inspection agency issues a decision to establish the Inspection Team, clearly stating the scope, content, location of the inspection, names, and titles of the team leader and members. The decision to establish the Inspection Team must be announced at the inspection site before the inspection begins.

Additionally, Circular 02 stipulates that after the inspection ends, the Inspection Team compiles a Report and announces the inspection results to the inspected entity. The inspection report is made in 02 (two) equally valid copies, each party retains 01 (one) copy. If the inspection detects that the fishing vessel has engaged in illegal fishing activities, the inspection agency shall undertake one of the following actions:

- Deny the certification of harvested seafood for seafood products harvested by the violating fishing vessel from the date the inspection results are announced.- List the violating fishing vessel in the list of vessels conducting illegal fishing activities and send this list to the Directorate of Fisheries for publication on the electronic portal of the Directorate of Fisheries.- Forward the dossier to the competent authority for further handling in accordance with the law.

See details in Circular 02/2018/TT-BNNPTNT effective from March 17, 2018.

-Thao Uyen-

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE