However, due to the fishing industry often operating offshore, the management of fishing vessels also faces many difficulties.
On September 29, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Da Nang City issued Notice No. 3883/TB-SNNPTNT requesting the owners of 190 fishing boats on the list of missing ships to contact the authorities and carry out the licensing procedures for fishing in accordance with current regulations.
Many other coastal provinces and cities such as Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam have conducted a review and verification in the area to detect fishing vessels that do not comply with regulations on equipment and techniques.
In order to effectively manage fishing vessels, ensure the safety of fishing activities, and combat illegal fishing, functional sectors and localities need to implement solutions in a more synchronous and drastic manner.
Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of coastal provinces and cities need to notify organisations and individuals that have fishing vessels on the list of ships yet to register. After the allowable time limit, if the registration is not carried out in accordance with regulations, the registration of such fishing vessels will be deleted from the national register.
Meanwhile, the local authorities that deal with violating ship owners are lacking in deterrence, and the sanctions for fishermen to comply are inadequate. It is necessary to guide fishermen to fully ensure technical safety of fishing vessels; direct fishing vessel registration establishments to strictly implement the registration, decentralisation and issue of technical safety certificates of fishing vessels in accordance with regulations; and take legal responsibility for the results of technical safety inspection and classification of fishing vessels.
In addition, it is also necessary to strictly control the registration of fishing boat crew members in the seafarer register, whereby sufficient minimum safe manning of fishing vessels must be ensured along with standards of health, expertise and professionalism of seafarers.
Meanwhile, it is necessary to coordinate in patrolling, inspecting and strictly handling cases of fishing vessels violating the provisions of law during their activities at sea.
It is necessary to promote coordination between coastal provinces and cities as well as between functional agencies and localities in the management of fishing vessels operating at sea, and to combat IUU fishing according to local coordination regulations.
It is also necessary to continue to effectively organise the implementation of policies to support fishermen according to Decision No. 48/2010/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister to help fishermen maintain production and strengthen their presence in remote waters.
