Binh Thuan (VNA) – The south-central province of Binh Thuan has recorded positive results in preventing and fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Nguyen Van Chien, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported to a working group from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) at a working session on May 29.

Chien said that the province has mobilised the engagement of the whole political system in the work, focusing on urgent solutions following the Prime Minister’s directions.

Thanks to the close supervision of local fishing vessel fleet, especially those with high risks, the province has seen no fishing vessels violating foreign waters since early 2023, Chien said.

The official said that so far, 1,942 operating boats out of 1,953 local fishing vessels with a length from 15m and above have installed Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). The remaining 11 vessels are currently out of service.

The locality has updated the data of 5,935 fishing boats with a length from 6m and above to the national fishing vessel registration system Vnfishbase, while issuing fisheries exploitation licences to 3,290 vessels. The remainders are waiting for new licences as their old licences expired on April 30.

Besides, the province has applied strict punishments on violations of IUU fishing regulations. Last year, the provincial Sub-Department of Fisheries sanctioned 378 cases and collected a total fine of 3.5 billion VND (137,484 USD), while the provincial Border Guard Command sanctioned 197 cases with a fine amount of 650 million VND.

Addressing the working session, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien, deputy head of the National Steering Committee for IUU Fishing Prevention and Control asked Binh Thuan to work harder in the work, especially in dealing with violations.

He explained that from now until September, drastic actions are needed to have the European Commission (EC)'s “yellow card” warning, which has imposed on Vietnamese seafood exports, lifted.

Earlier, the MARD's working group inspected IUU prevention and control at two fishing ports and a number of agencies in Binh Thuan.

Meanwhile, the central province of Nghe An, which has a coastline of more than 80km and nearly 3,400 fishing vessels, has also shown strong performance in IUU fishing prevention and combat.

Currently, 2,450 local fishing vessels with a length of 6m and above have been registered, reaching 97.69% of the total number of vessels subject to registration.

The province has issued a plan to specify targets, tasks and solutions stated in the Government’s Resolution No. 52/NQ-CP on the action programme and plan to realise the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat’s Directive 32-CT/TW on strengthening the Party leadership over IUU prevention and combat and boosting sustainable development of the fishery sector.

Under the plan, the provincial People’s Committee asked local administrations at all levels, agencies, organisations and individuals to join hands in preventing violations of IUU prevention and control regulations from early, while closely managing the local fishing boat fleet and strictly handing violations.

𒆙 Local authorities were requested to monitor 100% of operating fishing vessels and conduct regular patrols at sea. Organisations and individuals failing to complete their tasks will receive strict punishments, according to the plan./.