(VOVWORLD) - Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested harsher measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, by closely managing and monitoring high-risk fishing vessels, reviewing sanctions, and applying technical measures to handle the fishing vessels violating journey monitoring device regulations
 Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha speaks at the working session between the National Steering Committee for IUU and ministries, sectors and 28 coastal localities. (Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi) |
Deputy Prime Minister Ha made the request at Friday’s hybrid meeting in Hanoi between the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) and ministries, sectors and 28 coastal localities.
Mr. Ha who is the Head of the Committee asked localities before November 20 not to allow fishing vessels to operate at sea without management, to increase deterrent penalties, and adjust regulations on seasonal fishing management.
There must be a mechanism to encourage fishermen who comply with IUU regulations, propose investment projects to upgrade important fishing ports to improve the management capacity for fishing vessel activities and fishing output for the seafood for export processing.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, following four times of inspection by the European Commission (EC), the fight against IUU fishing has made progress in completing the legal framework, installing voyage monitoring equipment (VMS), building a national fisheries database (VNFishbase), controlling imported aquatic products according to the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), law enforcement, and sanctions against IUU fishing violations.