National action plan on prevention of illegal fishing approved

Illustration photo

The plan is aimed at preventing, deterring and eliminating IUU activities of Vietnamese and foreign organizations and individuals on Viet Nam’s waters, promoting the development of sustainable and responsible fishing to ensure national security and international and regional integration as well as ending Vietnamese fishermen launching illegal fishing at overseas waters. 

IUU prevention working group set up 

The interdisciplinary working group on IUU prevention and control will be controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It will establish and monitor aquatic product control system imported in Viet Nam and issue certificates of origin of domestic aquatic products.  

It will improve the technical systems of the shore stations of the Directorate of Fisheries and 28 coastal localities to supervise and use information from 10,000 leading fishing boats (equal to 30,000 connected fishing boats). 

IUU activities strictly punished 

In the phase from May 2018-2020, a number of measures will be launched to totally end Vietnamese fishermen and fishing boats’ illegal fishing in overseas and international waters. 

Policies on job change and sustainable livelihood for fishermen and mechanisms on responsibility of heads of localities where fishing boats undertake illegal overseas fishing will also be set up. 

Strict sanctions on ship owners, captains and fishermen helping exploitation, trading and transporting products of IUU will be established. 

Three fishing centers built 

One of the crucial tasks in the 2021-2025 phase is to construct three huge fishing centers, harbors and logistic systems for overseas fishing boats. 

The plan heads to closely control the volume, kinds and origin of imported aquatic products, launch programs and plans on aquatic resource protection and exploitation at waters and communication programs on IUU prevention at coastal areas as well as join multi-lateral forums, international fishing  organizations and enhance bilateral fishing with other nations. 

By Thuy Dung