National Action Plan to prevent and eliminate IUU fishing

Accordingly, from now to April 2018, documents related to IUU fishing must be reviewed and amended in the direction of enhancing effective control of IUU fishing. In addition, the project on offshore fishing and planning for offshore fishing to 2020, vision to 2030 are expected to be approved. Moreover, an inter-sector working group in charge of IUU fishing is expected to be established, next to a control system for fishery materials imported into Viet Nam.

At the same time, fisheries sector would upgrade technical system of the shore station from central to local level to monitor and effectively use the monitored information. The information and data collected from the monitoring system is used effectively to prevent, reduce and eliminate IUU fishing activities. A fisheries database is going to be established to enhance the verification, certification and traceability of domestic fishery products. Besides, an effective control system to refuse import of products from IUU fishing would be formed.

During the period from May 2018 to 2020, the overall solution would be built to completely eliminate the illegal fishing of Vietnamese fishermen and fishing vessels in foreign and international waters; legal documents guiding the implementation of Fisheries Law 2017 would be developed; the entry of Viet Nam into international and regional fisheries management agreements related to the prevention and control of IUU fishing would be ratified and policies of changing livelihoods for fishermen towards sustainability would be developed.

Consolidating the fishery resources surveillance force at all levels in order to strengthen the capability to patrol, control and handle law violations in the sea areas; Strengthening law enforcement capacity of functional forces in the waters, at fishing ports and fish markets; Strengthening the fishing vessels controlling and inspecting capacity, strictly controlling the quantity, types and origins of the imported aquatic products lots. To complete the building of a fishery database in the direction of integrating information on vessels, fishing activities, production of landing ports, traceability; to continue upgrading the information system for surveillance of fishing vessels at sea and to develop a compulsory roadmap for the installation of cruise control equipment on all offshore fishing vessels.

For the period of 2021-2025, one of the tasks to be focused on is to construct 3 major fisheries centers, fishing port and logistics service system for foreign fishing vessels landing. 2. Vietnam applies highest sanctions for illegal fishing vessels in foreign waters On 13th December 2017, the Vietnamese Prime Minister issued the Directive on a number of urgent tasks and solutions to overcome the EC’s warnings on combating IUU. One of the recommendations that Viet Nam has not met is the preventing of Vietnamese fishing vessels which were violating foreign waters (known as "blue boats”). Previously, on May 28th 2017, the Prime Minister also issued the public telegraph to direct the People's Committees of coastal provinces to implement drastic measures to prevent, minimize and stop the violations of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen engaging in illegal fishing in foreign waters.

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requested the Chairman of People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities to direct the local authorities to impose the highest sanctions on ship owners, captains in violation, strictly deal with organizations and individuals that take fishing vessels and fishermen to go fishing illegally in foreign waters. 

More information links on Vietnam combating IUU: 

http://news.esankhonkaennews.com/2018/06/14/5138

http://news.esankhonkaennews.com/2018/07/09/5427

http://www.esanthailandnews99.com/