Removal of IUU fishing-related ‘yellow card’ important for fisheries sector

As many as 99.7 per cent of fishing boats have the vessel monitoring system (VMS) installed. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Thành

HÀ NỘI — Identifying the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as a priority to remove the European Commission’s (EC) ‘yellow card’ warning against Vietnamese seafood, the coastal provinces in the southern part of the Hồng River Delta, namely Thái Bình, Nam Định and Ninh Bình, are working hard to prevent illegal fishing.

Decisive action, clear progress

Given that local fishermen primarily operate nearshore, and following the Government’s directives on combating IUU fishing, the three coastal provinces have actively monitored illegal fishing to prevent all violations. With decisive, regular, and continuous instructions, recent efforts have focused on addressing weaknesses in seafood exploitation pointed out by the EC, thus leading to a positive change in compliance with laws among fishermen.

Cao Thị Nga, head of the Fisheries Inspection, Control, and Management Office of Nam Định Province, said that awareness of the penalties for illegal fishing has improved among local fishermen. They now adhere to regulations by reporting before departure, logging their catches, and submitting their logs. As a result, violations related to fishing have significantly decreased, and no fishing vessels in the province have infringed upon foreign waters or been detained by foreign authorities.

As of May 15, 533 out of 542 fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more in Nam Định, or 98.34 per cent, have been equipped with the vessel monitoring system (VMS). The remainder have not installed monitoring devices as they are inactive, docked, or out of service.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thái Bình Province, as of June 30, the locality had registered 706 fishing vessels that meet the requirements for seafood exploitation in the national fishing vessel database VnFishbase, with a total capacity of over 101,000 KW.

In addition to dissemination campaigns to raise fishermen’s awareness, the department organised eight inspection teams in the first half of 2024 to detect violations.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Trần Văn Kha, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Ninh Bình Border Guard, stated that the Border Guard has proactively developed plans and enhanced monitoring at sea to promptly detect and address any violations while supporting fishermen in developing sustainable maritime economy.

Restructuring, protecting natural resources

The provinces have a continuous coastline stretching nearly 150km, with thousands of hectares of mudflats and a vast continental shelf. This presents huge potential and advantages for developing the marine economy.

Alongside efforts to have the ‘yellow card’ warning lifted, these localities are restructuring their fishing industry towards sustainable development, thus creating suitable livelihoods, and improving the quality of life for fishermen.

Trần Đức Việt, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nam Định Province, said that in the coming time, the department and localities will continue to reshuffle the agricultural sector, restructure the fleet of fishing vessels by gradually reducing the number of those operating nearshore. The plan is also to invest in communication systems to ensure the monitoring of fishing activities, thus meeting the requirements of Vietnamese law and international conventions.

Meanwhile, leveraging existing advantages, Thái Bình aims to become a leading agricultural production center in the Hồng River Delta, with a focus on developing and modernising the production of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products, as well as improving the value chain of agricultural products in the province. For sustainable development, the province will enhance the application of science and technology in aquaculture, fishing, and processing by the value chain, meeting domestic consumption and exports.

Although Ninh Bình has only one coastal district – Kim Sơn, the province has maximised this advantage over the years to develop aquaculture, generating high income for its residents. With a total aquaculture area of nearly 5,000ha (including up to 4,000ha of saltwater and brackish water aquaculture), Kim Sơn has identified saltwater and brackish water aquaculture in coastal mudflats as a development focus.

In October 2024, the EC will send its fifth inspection team to Việt Nam to assess the country’s compliance with recommendations on combating IUU fishing. This inspection will be decisive in determining whether Việt Nam can remove the restrictions on its seafood exports to the EU. The three coastal provinces in the southern part of the Red River Delta continue to monitor and detect fishing violations, contributing to the nationwide efforts to regain the “green card”. — VNS