Nghe An tackles IUU fishing

Fishermen in the central coastal province of Nghe An have been striving to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in an effort to lift the European Commission (EC)'s “yellow card” warning against Vietnam’s seafood exports.

The removal of the "yellow card" is expected to promote the sustainable development of the fisheries sector in Nghe An.

Thanks to drastic measures taken by the provincial authorities, most local fishermen and owners of fishing vessels engaged in offshore fishing activities now strictly comply with regulations related to IUU fishing.

They have also abided by other relevant regulations, including making declarations when their ships leave or dock, and using safety devices during offshore fishing trips.

The inspection, control and management of fishing vessels have proven effective.

According to Bui Xuan Truc, Head of the Agriculture Department of Quynh Luu district, the district authority has coordinated with relevant forces to implement a series of measures to raise awareness among boat owners and fishermen regarding IUU fishing.

Documents to implement the Law on Fisheries have been issued, while a resolution on supporting policies for fishing vessels to exploit offshore waters has been developed.

Inter-sectorials groups to control ships entering and leaving ports have been established, while fishing vessel registration is being strictly monitored.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been tasked with coordinating with the Border Guard Command of the locality to inspect and make a list of fishing vessels found violating rules against IUU fishing.

With a coastline of over 82 km, Nghe An boasts great potential for seafood exploitation. The locality’s annual exploitation output reaches approximately 200,000 tonnes. At peak times, the province has nearly 17,000 workers engaged in fishing.

According to statistics, by December 2022, 1,125 out of 1,151 fishing vessels in Nghe An had been equipped with vessel monitoring systems (VMS), equivalent to 97.74%.
 
The locality has also focused on investing in fisheries infrastructure, synchronous and modern information systems for fishery management./