IUU 'yellow card' helps regulate seafood fishing activities

100% of fishing vessels comply with the installation of cruise monitoring equipment

According to Mr Tran Van Phuc, Director of Binh Dinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of September 26, this province has 5,488 fishing boats with a length of 6m or more registered to operate; of which, the coastal area has 1,327 ships; 878 ships in the far coastal area; and the offshore area has 3,283 ships. 

According to the EC's recommendations, Binh Dinh is especially interested in installing cruise monitoring equipment for offshore fishing vessels. Currently, the province has 100% of fishing boats with a length of 15m or more (3,252 ships) equipped with cruise monitoring equipment according to regulations. The remaining 31 ships have not been installed yet due to being damaged, lying ashore, and not operating. Therefore, the ship owner has not installed cruise monitoring equipment, nor has the procedure for issuing a fishing license been completed.

"For fishing vessels of 15m or more that do not have cruise monitoring equipment installed, Authorities have coordinated with coastal local authorities to conduct inspections and determine the cause, the location and anchorage of each fishing vessel to verify that these are truly inactive vessels. Require these ship owners to sign a commitment to install cruise monitoring equipment before resuming fishing activities. At the same time, notify fishing ports and border guard stations to strictly control and not allow the above-mentioned ships to depart for fishing", Mr Phuc said. 

In operating the fishing vessel cruise monitoring system, Binh Dinh organizes a 24/7 shore station system to monitor, and receive information; detect and handle fishing vessels that exceed permitted boundaries at sea; and stop operation or disable cruise monitoring equipment during activities at sea.

Also according to Mr Phuc, from the beginning of 2023 until now, Binh Dinh authorities have detected and warned that 40 fishing vessels departing in the province lost connection or did not maintain the operation of their cruise monitoring equipment during operations at sea. The above-mentioned violating fishing vessel was fined VND 945 million, while 1 violating vessel was unable to bring the ship to shore before 10 days due to bad weather.

Strict punishment

In addition, recently, Binh Dinh also detected and warned 30 fishing vessels that lost connection at sea for over 10 days. 13 fishing boat owners who violated the above regulations when bringing their ships to port were fined; The remaining 17 ships did not return to their localities. They operate and dock at fishing ports outside the province so Binh Dinh cannot handle it. Binh Dinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a document requesting the functional forces of the southern provinces, where Binh Dinh's violating fishing vessels often come ashore to coordinate handling. Currently, the Border Guard Command of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has sanctioned 1 case with a fine of VND 25 million. 

Inspection and control of fishing vessels entering and leaving the port; supervise fishing vessels and their loading and unloading output through confirmed ports, certification and traceability of aquatic products are also seriously implemented by Binh Dinh authorities. At the three fishing ports of Quy Nhon, De Gi and Tam Quan, the authorities have monitored 100% of the seafood output arriving at the port with a volume of 32,210 tons. Binh Dinh Fishing Port Management Board confirmed 444 documents with a volume of 11,612 tons; certification of seafood origin for 374 documents with a volume of 3,825 tons of fish of all kinds for export, with no returned shipments.

Although from the beginning of 2023 until now, Binh Dinh has reduced 7 ships seized by foreign countries compared to 2022, this is still a big worry for the provincial government. 

To prepare to work with the EC Inspection Team, the People's Committee of Binh Dinh Province organized a working group to inspect and thoroughly handle the existing problems, and limitations in implementing the task of combating IUU fishing for units and localities; direct the strengthening of forces at fishing ports and IUU groups of the Fisheries Sub-Department, forces at Border Guard Control Stations to strengthen inspection and control of fishing vessels entering and exiting ports; Ensuring 100% of fishing vessels have all procedures when operating at sea; Supervise 100% of fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more loaded and unloaded at the fishing port.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tuan Thanh, Standing Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Provincial People's Committee, the key task of the government and functional branches of this province is to focus on implementing strong measures to completely handle existing problems, completing urgent tasks to prepare to work with the EC Inspection Team with the determination to remove the "IUU" "yellow card".