Ca Mau tightens control of fishing fleet to fight IUU fishing

Enhancing the application of digital solutions in controlling and managing the fishing fleet is an outstanding effort of the southernmost province of Ca Mau, home to a fishing ground of 80,000 square kilometres, to clamp down on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Along with various pieces of software having been used in fishery production, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has worked to digitalise the local fishing vessels’ data, hoping to join the nation’s efforts to have the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning removed soon.

Director of the department Phan Hoang Vu said that with the digitalised data, local authorities are able to keep tabs on the fishing vessels’ situation, thus providing fishermen with timely direction and preventing them from illegal fishing.

It also allows localities to update the number of boats with expired fishing and registration licences or disconnected or uninstalled vessel monitoring system (VMS) devices, he said, adding authorities at all levels could join the management, control, and digitalisation of vessels’ data through web browser or mobile application.

So far this year, the provincial agricultural sector has documented more than 4,000 vessels with valid fishing licences, or 98.5% of the total, over 2,500 with valid registration licences, and all of the vessels with the VMS device; and had their database updated on the local software.

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Su, fighting IUU fishing requires the regular involvement of sectors, branches and competent authorities. It is important to raise locals’ awareness against IUU fishing for sustainable development of the fisheries as well as for long-term livelihoods of the fishermen./.