(VOVworld) - Vietnam and Thailand have agreed on stepping up collaboration efforts in fighting illegal fishing activities.

Fishermen in Quang Tri province are repairing boats for a new fishing season. (Photo: Ho Cau/VNA)

The agreement was reached during a talk between Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam and deputy Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Sakchai Sriboonsue.

Both leaders reached consensus on soon completing necessary documents towards setting up a hotline in the first quarter of 2016 to support fishing operations between the two nations.

They also agreed on further cooperation to prevent and control epidemic diseases in the aqua-culture and cattle-breeding, quality management and the development of unified standards for exported farm produce.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam had a 5-day working visit to Thailand, which concluded on Thursday. The visit aimed to realize the Prime Minister’s directive on the establishment of a joint working group between Vietnam and Thailand to restrict illegal fishing operations and implement the bilateral cooperation agreement on agriculture and aquaculture with Thailand.