Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA)🍰 – Up to now, all registered fishing vessels in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau have had their data updated on the national fisheries database (Vnfishbase), Pham Thi Na, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said on July 2.

She made the affirmation at a conference which was held to review the implementation of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing combat and roll out work under Resolution No.04/2024/NQ/HDTP dated June 12, 2024 of the council of judges of the Supreme People’s Court, Local authorities have granted temporary registration to 1,140 vessels with “3 Nos”(no registration, no examination, no licence), she added. The rate of installation of vessel monitoring system (VMS) devices among fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more has reached 97.15%, and 75.92% have been licensed to operate at sea. Staff have been arranged to be on duty around the clock to monitor and supervise fishing vessel activities through VMS and regularly update the list of those that lose connection for six hours or more than 10 days at sea as well as those at high risk of engaging in offshore fishing that violates foreign waters. From the beginning of 2023 to the end of June this year, the province's functional forces have detected and handled 205 out 207 cases of fishing vessels that lose VMS connection at sea for more than 10 days. Of which, 94 cases have been punished with total fines of more than 2.3 billion VND (90,700 USD). According to the official, risks relating to infringement of foreign waters in the province still remain and the number of fishing vessels disconnecting their VMS while operating at sea is on the rise. In his remarks at the conference, Nguyen Cong Vinh, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee requested departments, agencies and localities to focus on information dissemination work and strictly deal will IUU fishing violations. The provincial Border Guard Command were urged to tighten inspection and control of vessels' movements at fishing ports in line with their functions and tasks and not allowing those don’t meet requirements to leave ports. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development were required to work closely with the Naval Region 2 Command, Coast Guard Regions 3 and 4 commands, and the fisheries surveillance force to keep updated on the operation of fishing vessels, and detect, investigate and handle violations in a timely manner. Besides, the province has joined hands with other coastal cities and provinces to deal with IUU fishing as Vietnam is striving to carry out the European Commision’s recommendations in this regard. At the meeting, representatives from the provincial People's Court spoke about tasks to be done under Resolution No.04/2024/NQ/HDTP, which provides guidance on the enforcement of stipulations in the Criminal Code regarding the criminalisation of IUU practices./.