Promoting solutions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Vietnam

Promoting solutions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Vietnam (Internet image)

Promoting solutions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Vietnam

Content mentioned in Notice 370/TB-VPCP 2023 on the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang at the Conference to promote solutions to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated seafood exploitation (IUU), preparing to welcome and work with the Inspection Team of the European Commission (EC) issued by the Government Office of Vietnam.

Some main tasks and solutions are as follows:

1. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

- Continue to organize interdisciplinary working groups to inspect and guide to overcome and completely handle shortcomings and limitations related to combating IUU fishing locally.

- Carefully review and handle thoroughly and transparently according to the EC's recommendations at the 3rd inspection on the certification work for swordfish species at mechanical fishing ports in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and related businesses.

- Develop plans, content, and work programs to ensure the best conditions to welcome and work with the 4th EC inspection team.

- Preside and coordinate with Ca Mau Province to review designated fishing ports in the area and have solutions to resolve the situation of a lack of designated fishing ports.

2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

- Focus on advising on diplomatic work with relevant parties, not letting the "Yellow Card" issue affect foreign affairs activities or other areas, and conversely, do not let Vietnam's "Yellow Card" issue become a bottleneck in relations and cooperation between Vietnam and other countries and international and regional organizations.

- Actively mobilize and enlist the support of countries and international and regional organizations, especially with the EC, about Vietnam's transparency, efforts, and political determination in combating IUU fishing.

3. Ministry of National Defense:

Continue to carry out peak patrols, inspections, and controls in bordering, overlapping, and undefined sea areas between Vietnam and other countries to promptly prevent and handle fishing vessels violating illegal seafood exploitation; have the highest determination not to let fishing vessels continue to violate from now until October 2023.

4. Ministry of Public Security:

Focus on consolidating records, prosecuting, and adjudicating at least 01 case of organizations and individuals brokering or connecting fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally exploit foreign waters, widely publicized in mass media to deter and educate.

5. Ministry of Information and Communications:

Preside and coordinate with relevant departments, ministries, branches, and localities to regularly provide information and communication about efforts to combat IUU fishing; Handling measures for organizations and individuals committing IUU exploitation; Cases of IUU fishing violations are handled... on mass media to propagate, warn, and deter.

6. People's Committees of coastal provinces and centrally run cities direct:

- Highly focus on implementing regulations against IUU fishing in fleet management (complete registration, inspection, licensing, and VMS installation); strictly control and monitor the activities of fishing vessels at fishing ports.

- Seriously implement the work of confirming, certifying, and tracing the origin of exploited aquatic products; acts of legalizing documents for export shipments are strictly prohibited.

- Functional forces carry out peak patrols, inspections, and controls; investigate, verify, and handle to ensure complete records for cases of fishing vessels arrested and handled by foreign countries that violate regulations on disconnecting VMS equipment.

- Request Khanh Hoa province to completely handle 02 imported fishing vessels according to the EC's recommendations at the 3rd inspection before the EC's inspection team comes to inspect for the 4th time.

- For Ca Mau province, in the immediate future, create conditions for fishing vessels in areas without designated ports to dock, load, and unload exploited seafood at private fishing wharves in the province according to regulations; require the province to have a monitoring and supervision mechanism to ensure no violations of IUU fishing; and synthesize and fully report these cases.

7. Associations, seafood associations, and seafood export enterprises:

- Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers and seafood businesses resolutely refuse to purchase, process, and export seafood products originating from IUU fishing. Coordinate with authorities to provide information, strictly handle violating seafood businesses, legalize records, and assist and tolerate IUU exploitation.

- Vietnam Fisheries Association actively mobilizes members to be exemplary and well implement regulations on preventing and combating IUU fishing and promptly encourages good examples, good people, and good deeds.

More details can be found in Notice 370/TB-VPCP 2023.

Duong Chau Thanh

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