(VOVWORLD) - Improving fisheries infrastructure has been identified as a key solution to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as Vietnam strives to have the European Commission (EC) lift its “yellow card.”
 Upgrading fisheries infrastructure plays an important role in combating IUU fishing.
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“Upgrading fishing port infrastructure and technical systems will help in the IUU control effort. It will improve transparency, ensure product traceability, meet EC recommendations, and move toward the removal of the yellow card,” Nguyen Quang Toan, Deputy Head of the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said:.
In Quang Ngai province, new fishing ports are beginning to meet the EC’s requirements on traceability and vessel monitoring. Nguyen Thanh Hien, Deputy Head of the Management Board of the province’s Fishing Ports, said Quang Ngai makes sure all fishing vessels update their data in VNFishbase, strictly sanctions vessels that fail to comply with the rules, and uses the electronic seafood traceability app (eCDT).
“Any IUU violations detected through inspection of vessels entering and leaving ports will be forwarded to the port’s fisheries inspection team for handling. Port records are reviewed, archived, and available to inspection missions upon request,” said Hien.
 Tho Quang fishing port in Da Nang (Photo: VOV) |
In Da Nang city, Tho Quang fishing port in Son Tra ward has been upgraded to a first-class port with modern infrastructure and large-scale capacity serving national or interregional socio-economic development goals.
It serves as a regional IUU control center responsible for overseeing vessel entry and exit, monitoring output, and verifying and certifying the origin of seafood products.