Quang Ninh speeds up the handling of fishing vessels

Immediately after being informed about fishing vessel registration, Mr To Van Thuy (Thuy Co Hamlet, Tien Lang Commune, Tien Yen District) promptly went to the public administrative centre to complete the registration procedures for his family's fishing boat. In an interview with Vietnam Agriculture News, Mr Thuy shared:

"My boat did not have documents before, but after being encouraged by the local authorities, I went to register it. During the registration process, I received very helpful guidance, so completing the procedures was very quick."

According to Mr Thuy, once the fishing boat is registered, he will no longer have to worry whenever the authorities come to inspect it. Not only Mr. Thuy but also other local fishermen, upon hearing the need to complete registration procedures, quickly arranged their schedules and docked as soon as possible to complete the registration.

Pointing to the newly issued registration number, Mrs To Thi Chung (Tien Lang Commune, Tien Yen District) happily announced: "I have completed the registration of my fishing boat; now my boat has a license plate and all the necessary documents according to state regulations."

Upon inspection, there are currently 230 fishing vessels in Tien Yen District with lengths from 6 to 12 meters, of which 68 vessels have not been officially registered as required.

"At present, 67 out of 68 vessels have been registered, with one vessel yet to be registered due to difficulties contacting the owner. In the near future, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will work with Hai Lang Commune (the locality where the owner of the unregistered vessel resides) to complete the registration procedures, ensuring 100% of the vessels are registered according to regulations", said Ms Do Thi Duyen, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Tien Yen District.

To date, Quang Ninh Province has effectively and decisively implemented the management of the fishing fleet, monitoring, supervising, and controlling fishing vessel activities and the volume of seafood unloaded at ports, resulting in many positive outcomes.

As of now, there have been no reported cases of fishing vessels engaging in illegal fishing in foreign waters. The installation of VMS devices, registration, and issuance of food safety certificates for 100% of fishing vessels over 15 meters in length have been completed. The registration rate is 100%, the inspection rate is 99.32%, and the issuance of licenses is at 95.88%.

Mr. Do Dinh Minh, Head of the Quang Ninh Fisheries Department, stated that the unit has directed and guided localities to focus their efforts on the registration and inspection of fishing vessels. The processes and procedures have been fully guided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, making it very convenient for residents.

"Ensuring that all vessels are fully registered and inspected is one of the key factors in addressing the 'yellow card' issued by the EC. We have instructed localities to review, classify, and organize registration for eligible vessels to start operating as soon as possible; for vessels facing difficulties with procedures and documentation, we will assist the localities. We are expediting the quota allocation to enable localities to quickly issue permits to residents.

Additionally, we are working with localities to enhance control and strictly handle vessels that deliberately avoid procedures despite being guided, based on the principle of dealing firmly with offences and deterring one vessel to caution many others," emphasized /Mr Do Dinh Minh.