According to the Department of Fisheries, since January 2024, the Department has provided guidance for localities to deploy software and has conducted training for various stakeholders, including fish port officials, fishermen representatives, Fisheries Sub-departments, and processing factory representatives.
After five months of implementation, many fish ports have proficiently managed vessel entry and departure using the software, issuing seafood unloading receipts at ports and the Seafood Catch Certification (SC) for enterprises.
“Up to now, 83 ports have announced to enforce departure protocols, and 56 designated ports are operational. There have been 7,940 vessel departures and 47 out of 83 ports have processed vessel entries with 4,356 fishing vessels docking,” a representative from the Department of Fisheries stated.
As planned, the Department of Fisheries will compile, monitor, and publish a list of fishing vessels at high risk of IUU (ilegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing violations, trespassing foreign waters, and the “3 no” fishing vessels (no registration, no fishing license, and no safety certificate) on a regular basis. Additionally, local units are required to monitor and report daily on the handling results of all cases of VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) disconnection violations, boundary overstepping at sea as per regulations. This aims to capture 100% of fishing vessels that disconnect or exceed boundary limits.
Nguyen Quang Hung, Director of the Fisheries Control Department, stated: The Department of Fisheries is responsible for coordinating with the Fisheries Control Department, Legal Department, and related agencies to closely manage and control the fishing fleet; implement the licensing for new construction and renovation of fishing vessels according to regulations, and urge localities to fully update fishing vessel data in the national fisheries database VNFishbase.
Regularly update the list of fishing vessels according to regulations and handle 100% of the “3 no” fishing vessels. Additionally, it is necessary to concretize the implementation of Circular 06, amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 23 regarding fish vessel inspectors; recognizing fish vessel inspection facilities; ensuring the technical safety of fishing vessels, fisheries control vessels; registering fishing vessels, fisheries service vessels; de-registering fishing vessels, and marking fishing vessels.
“Although the installation rate of VMS on fishing vessels is very high at over 98%, there is still a situation where fishing vessels lose connection at sea. Meanwhile, the provider confirms that only 0.2% is due to device failure, mainly due to vessel owner errors. The marking of 96% of fishing vessels has been completed, so the remaining 4% is not a small number,” Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien mentioned. Additionally, the Deputy Minister requested the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control Department to ensure 100% completion of VMS installations and marking as per regulations.
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also urged the expedited implementation of the electronic seafood traceability system from exploitation (eCDT), to be completed before September 2024.
Tien suggested that to prepare for the upcoming 5th EC delegation inspection, expected in September, the Departments and Directorates must work closely with localities to avoid bureaucratic management of the fleet and handle violators effectively.
VFM
