Mekong Delta provinces augment efforts against unregulated fishing

In Soc Trang Province, the Sub-department of Fisheries said it has coordinated with the provincial Department of Information and Communications to step up checking vessel monitoring systems (VMS) installed on fishing boats and asked VMS suppliers to make timely repair if there are any breakdowns.

So far, all fishing vessels over 15 m long in Soc Trang have been equipped with smoothly operating VMS.

The province’s Border Guard Command has also ordered border guard posts to intensify the dissemination of the 2017 Law on Fisheries and others to fishermen. As a result, 368 vessels operating in deep-sea areas have signed commitments to not violate foreign waters and follow anti-IUU fishing regulations. Vessels departing from or arriving at fishing ports have also properly complied with the declaration and logbook-related rules.

The information and education board of the Kien Giang Province’s Party Committee has coordinated with the Naval Region 4 Command to boost law communications to local officials, Party members, and fishermen.

In Phu Quoc island city of Kien Giang, the local administration issued a plan on coordination with towns and districts in the province and the provincial fisheries sub-department to conduct patrols, examination, and settlement of violating vessels.

Doan Van Tien, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said Phu Quoc will press on with popularizing legal regulations, including the Law on Fisheries and related issues, in the public, especially vessel owners, captains, and fishermen, so as to strongly fight IUU fishing.

The administration will continue to require forces, organizations, Party committees, and authorities to carry out strong and concerted actions to prevent fishing vessels and fishermen from infringing foreign waters, including ramping up patrols, stringently dealing with violations, and enhancing management of vessels, particularly those operating in deep-sea areas.

In Ca Mau, the chairperson of the provincial People’s Committee also requested departments, sectors, and localities to promote communications about anti-IUU fishing rules while increasing patrol and examination to detect and handle violations, especially those related to VMS installation and foreign waters.

Relevant parties were told to deal with the cadres failing to fulfill their duties in this regard and thoroughly prepare statistics and documents as well as personnel to serve coming meetings with the EC inspection delegation.

Performing duties on the southwestern waters of Vietnam, Naval Region 5 has worked closely with the border guard, fisheries resources surveillance, coast guard forces, fisheries sub-departments of localities, along with communal-level People’s Committees to encourage vessel owners to seriously adhere to legal regulations on fisheries.

Rear Admiral Nguyen Dang Tien, Political Commissar of Naval Region 5, said the naval region will maintain close coordination with relevant localities to boost law dissemination in the community, especially fishermen, adding that its officers and soldiers will make the most practical contributions to the combat against IUU fishing in the southwestern waters.