Despite of tougher management and punishment by local authorities, use of illegal fishing gear is still common.
In the first week of August, after inspecting fishing at Bái Tử Long Bay and Hạ Long Bay, Nguyễn Văn Đọc, Secretary of the Quảng Ninh provincial Party Committee ordered local agencies to step up inspections and impose strict penalties on fishing vessels which use destructive fishing gear.
He also ordered the ban on fishing in the core zone of Hạ Long Bay and called for a plan to ban fishing in the buffer zone.
Quảng Ninh Province has instructed local agencies to communicate the policy to the public and help fishermen find other jobs.
“We’ll launch a province-wide campaign. Communications should be expanded. We’ll also rein in the overfishing,” said Đặng Huy Hậu, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee. However, destructive fishing gear continue, even in daylight in some localities such as Hải Hà district and Móng Cái city.
Along beaches of Quảng Minh, Quảng Phong, Quảng Thanh, Tiến Tới communes, some vessels use electric generators, with local authorities nowhere in sight.
Yet Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, chairman of Hải Hà District’s People’s Committee confirmed to reporters that the district’s authorities are still ordering inspections and punishments.
On the beach along Hải Đông District, Móng Cái City, groups of fishermen use electric generators to catch clams. When the clams are stunned by the electric current, fishermen scoop them up. This fishing practice has been used in the commune for years, however, until now, no one has been punished.
Again, Nguyễn Văn Chiều, secretary of the commune’s Party Committee and chairman of communal People’s Committee confirmed that they established a team to penalise violations in fishing. After inspection campaigns, the biggest last May, he claimed there were no more violations in the commune.
VFM
