Implementing Decision No. 81/QD-TTg, dated February 13, 2023 of the Prime Minister on the promulgation of the “Action Plan against IUU fishing, preparing for the 4th working session with the Inspection Delegation of the European Commission”, over the past time, Vietnam Coast Guard has increased its forces and means in the field, and implemented drastically, synchronously and effectively many solutions, joining hands with the whole country to soon remove the "yellow card" of the European Commission for Vietnam's fisheries industry.

Being deeply aware of its core role in management, patrolling, supervision, timely coordination to handle ships’ violations at sea, and of the urgent requirements of the task of combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the Standing Party Committee, Coast Guard Command (CGC) have thoroughly grasped and strictly implemented the directives, decisions, dispatches, guiding documents, and directions of the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee, and the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) Steering Committee on IUU. On that basis, Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) has concretised these documents into guidelines and solutions to implement this important task in the whole force. In order to strengthen the leadership and direction, to improve the efficiency, and to timely adjust and supplement the plan in accordance with the practical conditions and situation, CGC has deployed various working delegations with the participation of coastal provinces and cities’ leaders and inter-sector forces’ representatives, etc. These delegations have directly inspected fishery activities, as well as the implementation of preventative measures to combat IUU fishing in key sea areas. Thereby, CGC has advised and proposed fundamental solutions to improve the efficiency of this important work to the MND’s Steering Committee and the National Steering Committee on IUU; concurrently, CGC has sent assessments of fishing vessels violating IUU to localities for timely co-managing and handling in accordance with the law.

In order to synchronously implement solutions and measures to effectively prevent IUU fishing, CGC’s Steering Committee on IUU has directed its units to actively and closely coordinate with relevant forces, including local Party committees and authorities, functional agencies (Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Fisheries Sub-Departments, Public Security), and synergistic forces (Naval, Fisheries Surveillance, Border Guard). These solutions and measures includes ones on aspects of administration, promulgation, mobilisation and legal profession. Notably, CGC has established the Front Command to command the forces on the ground; and has directed its units to strengthen forces and ships to coordinate with Navy and Fisheries Surveillance to regularly patrol, control and supervise fishery activities, to inspect the law enforcement on IUU fishing on sea areas, especially key areas, such as Gulf of Tonkin, Spratly islands, DK1 platform, the sea bordering Vietnam - Thailand, Vietnam - Malaysia, the historical waters of Vietnam – Cambodia. These operations are to prevent Vietnamese fishing vessels from encroaching on foreign waters for illegal fishing, and to propagate and expel foreign fishing vessels violating Vietnamese waters.

Providing leaflets on IUU fishing for fishing men and women

Along with that, the Party Committee, CGC attach special importance to the propaganda and mobilisation to raise awareness and responsibility of the stakeholders in strictly observing the provisions of the law on exploiting seafood. The CGC’s Steering Committee on IUU has directed professional forces to closely coordinate with local authorities and forces to promote law propaganda and dissemination to fishermen. Ship owners and captains are mobilised to sign non-violation commitments, especially ones at high risk of violating foreign waters for illegal fishing, as well as business owners who purchase and process fisheries products. The propaganda focuses on the provisions of the law on prevention and combat of IUU fishing, emphasising the harms and consequences of IUU fishing, the damage to property and lives when being expelled, seized and handled by foreign functional forces. Under the motto "Small rain lays great dust", and in order to step by step change the awareness and actions of fishermen of sustainable fishing in accordance with the law, agencies and units have actively innovated the content, forms and methods of direct propaganda and through theatricalisation; building skits to be broadcasted on central and local radio and television stations in the best time frame; organising mass mobilisation programs, such as "Coast Guard accompanies fishermen", "Coast Guard with ethnic and religious compatriots", and the contest "I love my homeland sea and islands ", etc.

In professional work, the CGC’s Steering Committee on IUU has directed its units to conduct basic, thematic investigations on fishing vessels, focusing on localities with multiple violations of fishing vessels in exploiting seafood in foreign sea areas, such as Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Ben Tre, Binh Thuan, Binh Dinh, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, etc. On the basis of reviewing 15m-and-over fishing vessels, Coast Guard has categorised more than 3,000 fishing vessels as "high risk of violations” that need to be regularly monitored and managed. In particular, through basic investigation and verification of suspicions, Coast Guard’s professional agency has identified a number of rings taking Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen to foreign waters for illegal fishing; continue to coordinate with professional agencies of the Public Security and Border Guard in localities to fight and dismantle such rings.

In the field, in order to enhance the operational efficiency, Coast Guard ships and subordinate ships are divided into different directions and fronts to patrol and control day and night at sea, especially in bad weathers with limited visibility, in which fishing vessels often take advantage to evade authorities and trespass foreign waters for illegal fishing. At the same time, Coast Guard regularly and closely coordinates with functional agencies and coastal localities to firmly grasp the fishing vessels at high risk of violations, the vessels that disconnect the signal of the vessel monitoring system (VMS), and the ones that have expired registration, or have not returned to the locality for a long time, etc. Thanks to that, Coast Guard has closely 24/7 monitored fishing vessels' activities in the assigned waters, timely detected violations, determining to prevent fishing vessels from trespassing foreign waters for illegal fishing.

Along with the above measures, Vietnam Coast Guard has promoted foreign affairs and international cooperation, especially in coordination and information exchange with regional law enforcement forces on activities of Vietnamese and foreign fishing vessels; settling cases in which Vietnamese fishing vessels are seized at sea by foreign countries, receiving and transferring these to functional forces for handling in accordance with Vietnamese law. At the same time, VCG propose mechanisms and measures to protect and treat Vietnamese fishermen humanely. Through established communication and information exchange channels, VCG promotes coalition and joint patrols; organising conferences, seminars and forums for regional and international cooperation to exchange and share experience with maritime law enforcement forces of other countries; searching, rescuing, assisting, protecting fishermen’s lives and properties, creating a solid support our fishermen, strengthening their confidence to reach out and stick to the sea.

With political determination and tremendous effort of Vietnam Coast Guard during peak periods of countering IUU fishing, many positive results have been achieved. The sense of law observance of fishing vessels has been improved, there is no longer a situation where fishing vessels and fishermen oppose or disobey patrolling and controlling orders; the number of Vietnamese fishing vessels intentionally violating IUU fishing has been sharply decreased. The control and supervision of fishing vessels, traceability and certification of seafood exploitation has been strictly implemented with the active participation of forces and authorities. The issuance of sanctions and coordinated handling of IUU fishing are strictly carried out, in accordance with the process and regulations, having a deterrent effect on those who intend to violate, etc., joining hands with the whole country to determinedly soon remove the "yellow card" of the European Commission for Vietnam's seafood industry.

Promoting the achieved results, in the coming time, Vietnam Coast Guard will continue to drastically, synchronously and more effectively implement solutions and tasks to prevent and combat IUU fishing, considering it as an important political tasks of the Coast Guard. This task must be carried out regularly, continuously and constantly, contributing to the sustainable, responsible development of Vietnam's fisheries industry, complying with the standards of international law; aiming at building a sea of security, safety, peace and friendship; in which, focusing on some of the following main contents.

Firstly, actively advise and propose to functional agencies of the Party and State to speed up negotiations and dialogues with countries with bordering seas, soon demarcate sea boundaries, creating a legal basis to manage and protect national sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and interests; protect, help and support fishermen when being chased, seized and handled by foreign functional forces.

Second, propose to the MND’s Steering Committee on IUU to advise and propose to the Government to promptly issue, amend and supplement Decree No. 26/2019/ND-CP, dated March 8, 2019 detailing a number of articles and measures to implement the Law on Fisheries, and Decree No. 42/2019/ND-CP, dated May 16, 2019 stipulating penalties for administrative violations on fisheries, in order to improve the State management document system for the managing and monitoring of tracking equipment for fishing vessels and suppliers of these equipment. This also aims at the installation and use of such equipment, which does not allow fishermen to interfere with the installed equipment.

Third, strengthen the propaganda and publication of IUU fishing violations on the mass media in order to educate, deter, build a sense of respect for the law, and implement lawful fishing; sustainable development associated with the protection of marine resources and environment.

Fourth, continue to promote coordination with the Party committees, coastal local authorities and functional forces in patrolling, inspecting and controlling IUU fishing, especially in key sea areas; resolutely and strictly handle fishing vessels’ violations according to the provisions of law.

Senior Colonel LE DINH CUONG, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Vietnam Coast Guard