HCMC – Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has ordered strengthening inspections to ward off illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as European Commission (EC) inspectors are coming to Vietnam in October.
The Government Office on September 26 announced Notice 302/TB-VPCP carrying the deputy prime minister’s conclusion about measures to prevent IUU fishing. Thanh urged authorities in coastal provinces to clamp down on IUU fishing.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant authorities were tasked with dealing with those vessels fishing illegally in foreign waters.
Fishing vessels without registration and testing certificates must be strictly fined while penalties will be applied to violations of fishing vessels related to IUU fishing.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defence was ordered to enforce the law of the sea, carrying out inspections in key waters to prevent illegal fishing and crack down on those talking fishermen into fishing in foreign waters.
Coastal provinces will determine fishing quotas in coastal waters while all offshore fishing vessels will be installed with monitoring systems.
The EC in October 2017 issued a yellow card due to Vietnam’s inadequate action to combat IUU fishing.
To ensure the yellow card is lifted soon, the prime minister on September 14 issued Decision 1077/QD-TTg on preventing IUU fishing.
