Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung (third, right) visits fishermen at Tac Cau Fishery Wharf in Binh An commune, Kien Giang province's Chau Thanh district, on October 23 (Photo: VNA) Kien Giang (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister TrinhDinh Dung inspected the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)fishing in the southern province of Kien Giang on October 23, requestingministries, sectors and localities to make stronger efforts to swiftly put anend to the problem.
In October 2017, the European Commission (EC)issued a “yellow card” warning to Vietnam due to the country’s failure todemonstrate sufficient progress in the fight against IUU fishing.
Countries that fail to meet EC standards aregiven a "yellow card", followed by a "green card" if theproblems are resolved, or a "red card" if they are not. A red cardcan lead to a trade ban on seafood.
At a working session with the Deputy PM, ViceChairman of the Kien Giang People’s Committee Mai Anh Nhin said as of September2019, the province had 9,858 registered fishing boats. It recorded a totalcatch of 450,593 tonnes of aquatic products in the first nine months –equivalent to 76.24 percent of this year’s target.
To fight IUU fishing, Kien Giang has issued directivesand plans, including stepping up inspections, increasing communications about lawsof regional countries, monitoring the installment of tracking devices, andcertifying seafood’s origin, he noted.
However, the official admitted that localfishing boasts still commit infringements, with 52 violations in the first halfof 2019, up 21 from the same period last year. Although a high percentage ofboats are now equipped with tracking devices, connections with mainlandstations remain limited.
Deputy PM Dung pointed out the shortcomings KienGiang needs to address, especially the low rate of tracking devices that areturned on while boats are at sea, which is about 30 – 40 percent. He asked theprovince to deal with boats that switched off their equipment while increasinghuman resources and upgrading infrastructure to ensure food safety in the docks.
He demanded an immediate end to IUU fishing,telling local authorities to carry out the EC’s recommendations to remove the “yellowcard” and prevent local boats from fishing in foreign waters. Meanwhile,ministries, sectors and localities must stay focused on their tasks,particularly controlling boats and vessels in Vietnam’s waters and strictlydealing with violations of fisheries laws.
To boost the sustainable development ofVietnam’s fisheries sector, the industry must be restructured towards smallercatches and more aquaculture, the Deputy PM said, adding that restructuringwill help eradicate IUU fishing, develop the sector sustainably, and improveits competitiveness in regional and global markets./.
VNA
