Continuing the working program, at the People's Committee of Phu Yen province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the IUU Steering Committee held a conference on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and prepared the content and working plan with the European Commission (EC) Inspection Team.
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Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hoa An addressing at the conference |
Reporting at the conference, Mr Vu Duyen Hai, Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries, informed: Up to now, the whole country has 84,247 fishing vessels with a length of 6m or more. The whole country has 76 fishing ports in 26/28 provinces and cities that have been announced to be open; of which 50 fishing ports have a complete system to confirm the origin of aquatic products from exploitation. The fishing ports have implemented a system to trace the origin of exploited aquatic products; there is a database of fishing vessels and the output unloaded through the port.
In order to combat IUU fishing, localities have promptly issued directive documents, developed contents and plans to organize and implement tasks and solutions to combat IUU fishing according to the direction of the Secretariat, the Government, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister; seriously reviewed and clarified the responsibilities of organizations and individuals who have not fulfilled their assigned duties and tasks. Local fishing fleets have been reviewed, their numbers have been determined and regularly monitored and updated.
Fishing vessels participating in fishing activities have installed 100% of the voyage monitoring system (VMS) according to regulations and organized monitoring and supervision to prevent and handle when detecting fishing vessels with signs of IUU violations. Localities have strictly controlled fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, ensuring that fishing vessels leaving ports for fishing comply with all procedures and documents as prescribed; prevent and not allow unqualified fishing vessels to exploit aquatic resources...
In order to carry out the key tasks of combating IUU fishing and removing the EC's "yellow card", in the coming time, units and localities must strengthen inspection, grant fishing licenses to registered vessels, draw license plates and mark fishing vessels according to regulations, update data on VNF and VMS, assign people to supervise the anchorage location of each vessel, monitor and control, handle violations of each fishing vessel in fishing communities, fishing ports, border stations at sea...
Tin order to prepare to work with the EC Inspection Delegation, Ms. Nguyen Thi Trang Nhung, Head of the Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation (Department of Fisheries Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) suggested that localities should focus on major groups of issues such as: Fleet management including controlling fishing vessels violating foreign waters; monitoring, inspecting, supervising fishing vessels, output at ports and activities of fishing vessels at sea; controlling aquatic raw materials; traceability of aquatic products from exploitation...
At the conference, delegates focused on discussing solutions to remove obstacles in the implementation of anti-IUU fishing in the provinces and cities of the Central region and to remove the EC's "yellow card".
Concluding the conference, Deputy Minister, Mr Phung Duc Tien emphasized: In order to remove the EC's "yellow card", we must strictly and fully implement 4 recommendations, which are fleet management, fleet supervision, traceability and handling of administrative violations. In addition to removing the "yellow card", sustainable aquaculture development is also a way to reduce pressure on fishing to change the profession. The Deputy Minister suggested that localities need to pay attention to investing in adequate equipment systems, staff, and facilities for fishing ports, and to resolve and coordinate the entire political system in handling IUU violations.
According to Deputy Minister, Mr. Phung Duc Tien, when the EC Inspection Delegation comes to Vietnam to work, this is a golden opportunity for us to remove the "yellow card". Therefore, leaders of provinces, departments and units must be determined to act, confront and not react to focus on removing the EC's "yellow card".
Source: Phu Yen Online
Translated by HAI LOAN