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| Vietnam tightens monitoring of fishing vessels to tackle IUU violations__Photo: VNA |
The central province of Nghe An is stepping up monitoring of fishing vessels entering and leaving ports in a bid to address shortcomings in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
As of late February, several limitations remained in the province’s IUU prevention work, particularly in the interlinked monitoring of fishing vessels through ports on the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT), as well as inconsistent inspections of vessels departing from and returning to shore.
In response, the provincial People’s Committee has directed relevant departments, agencies and coastal localities to urgently implement key measures to address these issues.
Under the plan, the Nghe An Border Guard Command will coordinate with the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to clarify the causes of discrepancies in statistics on fishing vessels entering and leaving ports and adopt solutions to them.
Authorities will ensure that all vessels departing through border guard stations for fishing activities must obtain port departure confirmation from fishing ports in line with regulations, particularly those measuring 12 metres or longer.
Border guard stations along the coast have also been instructed to strictly monitor vessel documentation and require boat owners and captains to complete port entry and exit procedures on the eCDT system. Vessels that fail to meet operational requirements, including incomplete legal documents, improper vessel identification markings, or inactive voyage monitoring system (VMS) signals will not be allowed to leave port.
The province also strictly holds accountable officials and units assigned with responsibilities but still allow fishing vessels to violate regulations and go out to sea for fishing.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with the Border Guard Command, will continue to strengthen communication efforts to guide vessel owners and captains in completing port procedures through the eCDT system and implementing electronic fishing logbooks in accordance with regulations. Inspections will also be strengthened to review cases losing VMS connectivity in coastal areas and promptly address any shortcomings.
Meanwhile, the People’s Committees in coastal communes and wards have been asked to work closely with relevant forces to remind vessel owners and captains to follow proper procedures when docking at designated fishing ports.
Nghe An currently has more than 2,600 fishing vessels. To date, all vessels subject to registration have been licensed, inspected and properly marked, while 100 per cent of offshore fishing vessels have been equipped with VMS devices and are monitored around the clock.- (VNA/VLLF)
