Urgent action is required to remove the "yellow card," and it must not be allowed that the European Commission remove the "red card"

DNHN - Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh urged the formation of inter-sectoral delegations at the central and local levels to inspect precisely, detect, and sternly manage infractions of anti-IUU fishing legislation.

On September 20, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh presided over a meeting of the National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) to assess the implementation of the European Commission's proposals (EC). The gathering is linked to the commune level of 28 coastal provinces and cities through the internet.

Tran Dinh Luan, Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries, commented on the outcomes of anti-IUU fishing. The total number of fishing vessels in the United States is presently 91,716. The installation of cruise monitoring equipment (VMS) aboard fishing vessels has progressed, reaching 95.27%, a greater than 5% increase over the previous year. Law enforcement personnel at sea increase patrol, inspection, and control, particularly in critical coastal regions.

Almost 80,000 fishing boats have been examined and supervised since the fourth quarter of 2021. Localities such as Quang Ngai, Tien Giang, and Khanh Hoa have done well in lowering the number of incidents of illegal fishing boats, particularly in Phu Yen (from 2021 up to now, no violations have been detected).

The legislative framework and core policy mechanism, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien, are appropriate; nevertheless, there are still certain problems in the implementation process. There is still a problem with fishing vessels entering international seas. Inspection of fishing ports, fleet management, and many log books are vague or non-existent in some circumstances.

VMS is placed on vessels, but the connection is not continuous and regular; the management of administrative breaches is still insufficient. According to Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, the ministry is evaluating, modifying, and completing Decree No. 42/2019/ND-CP, which recommends that the Coast Guard have sanctioning authority.

In closing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh stated that removing the yellow card and not allowing the EC to withdraw the "red card" is extremely important, especially for the lives of fishermen and the seafood industry, as well as for the prestige and national brand in the international arena.

Leaders of the Party and State are very interested in this issue and have had numerous meetings and discussions with senior European Union leaders about Vietnam's commitment, efforts, and determination in combating IUU fishing; request the EC to remove the IUU yellow card for Vietnamese seafood products as soon as possible. The Government and the Prime Minister have issued guidelines and directions to address this issue.

The outcomes are better than previously. However, the outcomes are unsatisfactory. The fleet's fishing licenses have not been issued by the rules (96.7% for ships of 15 meters or more, 46.6% for ships of less than 15 meters). In 2022, the installation of voyage monitoring equipment (VMS) is still modest (up only 5%). There is also an instance where fishing vessels violate seafood exploitation in international waters. The traceability of seafood is still possible. This is a major issue; if it is not resolved, the yellow card will not be removed, and a "red card" warning will be issued.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the formation of inter-sectoral delegations, at the central level chaired by leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and at the local level chaired by leaders of the Provincial People's Committee, in charge of specific inspection and timely detection of anti-IUU fishing violations. The coast guard, border guard, fisheries management, and local police have increased patrols, inspections, and enforcement at sea and fishing ports. Simultaneously, information and propaganda work is being promoted to help fishermen understand the dangers and disadvantages of IUU fishing, hence boosting awareness in the fight against IUU fishing.

In the long run, the Deputy Prime Minister asked the ministries, branches, and localities to effectively implement the Government's and Prime Minister's directives, particularly the Prime Minister's Project on preventing and combating IUU fishing by 2025, which aims to develop the safe and sustainable exploitation, processing, and export of Vietnam's aquatic products.

Huyen Vi (t/h)