Phu Yen strictly handles fishing vessels with three ‘nos’

Dealing with "3 no-" fishing vessels

Currently, Phu Yen province has over 1,930 fishing vessels, with 658 of them being above 15 meters in length and specifically designed for offshore fishing. So far, 654 fishing boats that are above 15 meters in length have successfully implemented voyage tracking devices. However, the remaining 4 vessels have not been able to install these devices owing to damage and are now inactive on shore.

In recent years, significant measures have been taken to address the issue of IUU fishing in Phu Yen province. As a consequence, there have been no instances of local fishing boats violating regulations in foreign seas since 2019. Nevertheless, there are still challenges in some coastal areas of the province when it comes to effectively regulating and overseeing "3 no" fishing boats (no registration, no license, no inspection).

Lately, a task force from the Provincial IUU Steering Committee has collaborated with coastal cities to implement measures aimed at preventing IUU fishing. Mr. Ha Vien, the Director of the Fisheries Port Management Board of Phu Yen, states that the province has a significant quantity of conventional fisheries docks. Numerous vessel owners involved in the extraction of aquatic products are hesitant to bring their boats to authorized fishing ports for unloading, hence impeding the monitoring of the level of extraction. Nevertheless, the majority of municipal authorities exhibit a lack of strictness in their management practices, resulting in unmonitored fisheries docks and unrecorded levels of exploitation.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Phu Yen, has emphasized the need for coastal areas to rapidly resolve the current issues related to IUU fishing. These limitations must be addressed and resolved by April 2024. In addition, the People's Committees of communes and wards should assign officers to collaborate with representative offices in order to conduct inspections and oversee fishing activities at fishery ports. This is to ensure that administrative violations are promptly addressed and appropriate penalties are imposed in accordance with regulations.

Exclusively addressing IUU infractions

Mr. Dao Quang Minh, Director of the Department of Fisheries of Phu Yen province, said that in the previous year, the department collaborated with relevant authorities to conduct 6 targeted fisheries inspections at sea. Since 2023, the whole province has had 16 instances of fishing boats breaching boundaries at sea. Additionally, there have been 162 instances of fishing vessels losing VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) connection at sea, with 7 vessels being disconnected for more than 10 days.

The authorities have imposed fines on 65 cases, amounting to over 900 million VND, primarily for violations such as failure to maintain the operation of VMS devices during sea activities, failure to register fishing vessels as required, captains and engineers lacking the necessary certificates, and failure to report required information to port management organizations before entering ports.

Mr. Lam Duy Dung, Vice Chairman of Song Cau Town People's Committee, has instructed the communes and wards with fishing vessels to closely collaborate with border control stations, particularly at Xuan Canh fishery dock and Xuan Hai fishery unloading point, to effectively monitor the traditional fishing wharves.

In addition, the town's People's Committee has directed the Economic Department and fishing communities to strengthen collaboration with law enforcement agencies in effectively and comprehensively addressing violations of IUU fishing, particularly with regards to "3 no" fishing vessels; fishing vessels that fail to comply with regulations when entering designated fishery ports; and violations concerning vessel monitoring system (VMS) devices.

In addition, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong, Vice Chairman of Tuy An District People's Committee, said that the district has instructed local authorities to enhance the control of fishing vessels. If fishing boats of uncertain origins are permitted to operate or if "3-no" fishing vessels are present, those in positions of responsibility at the local level will face consequences.

Simultaneously, the People's Committee of the district has directed the communes to conduct an in-depth investigation, classification, and assessment of particular lists of fishing vessels that have not been officially registered or licensed within their jurisdiction. They have been instructed to offer precise instructions to the owners of these fishing vessels, ensuring that they complete all necessary paperwork to meet the registration criteria by March 2024.

Mr. Le Tan Ho, the Vice Chairman of Phu Yen Provincial People's Committee, has emphasized the need of departments, sectors, and coastal communities to address the current limitations in IUU operations with determination. Concurrently, it is essential to implement stringent measures to deter fishing boats and fishermen from trespassing into international seas. In addition, it is essential for relevant authorities to rigorously authenticate and address instances of intentional disconnection of voyage tracking devices, while also conducting inspections and continuously monitoring fishing vessel activity and exploitation levels. Stringent measures should be adopted to address intentional infractions of bypassing specified ports to offload illegally harvested aquatic resources.