Rectifying fishing activities

	Vietnam works hard to have “yellow card” warning removed
	Vietnam vows to work towards sustainable fishery
	EC notes many contents to help Vietnam remove the "yellow card"

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Over the past years, many policies have been issued for the marine economic development of Vietnam, encouraging fishing activities on the sea, supporting fishermen and helping them with their businesses. Up to now, fishing vessels are highly developed in quality, capacity and type (steel hull ships, new composite material shell, ships with capacity of over 800CV).

However, the Vietnam fishing sector is characterized by the people, with the majority of fishing vessels being of small capacity, operating at the individual and household level. The fishing activity is implemented in the manual and unregulated method. Most fishermen have low literacy levels and low law-abiding awareness; they often use eradicated fishing methods, exploit forbidden fishery areas and encroach on foreign waters.

This has caused negative consequences, one of which is that the European Commission (EC) adopted a “yellow card” warning for Vietnamese seafood exports on October 23 2017, which negatively affects fishermens’ lives as well as the development of the fishing industry. Therefore, proposing solutions for the EC to quickly remove the "yellow card" measure is an important and urgent requirement, requiring the synchronization of ministries, branches and localities with the support of the people.

In fact, the combating of IUU fishing in Vietnam has not shown significant improvements, there are still many tasks needing to be implemented and many inadequacies having to be overcome such as: Law enforcement to ensure the control of fishing vessels to not illegally exploit in foreign waters has not been effectively implemented; the violation of fishing vessels in foreign waters has complicatedly taken place and has not been significantly improved.

Deputy Prime Minister has requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, People's Committee of 28 coastal provinces and cities directly under the central government to thoroughly grasp and continue to strictly implement Directive 45/CT-TTg, and consider that this is one of their top political tasks. In this regard, it is not possible for the EC to apply the "red card" measure, and this is an opportunity to restructure the fisheries sector, rectify the fishing activities as well as the state management of the fisheries sector.

Focusing on achieving the goal of building a sustainable fisheries sector, through the key tasks such as: effectively combating IUU fishing, restructuring fishery operation and products in the country as well as in each province; raising intellectual standards of the people by increasing the dissemination of knowledge to fishermen; creating jobs, expanding space, economic activities for coastal people, training to encourage fishermen to change jobs; making full use of the advantages from the sea.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall study and submit to the Prime Minister a plan for the establishment of the National Steering Committee for Combating IUU fishing, headed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and other relevant ministries, branches and localities, as members to synchronously direct from central to local levels.

The Deputy Prime Minister also requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to complete the documents guiding the implementation of the Fisheries Law in 2017, to ensure the effective date by 1st January 2019; to develop and promulgate plans on the implementation of the Agreement on port State measures which Vietnam has just joined, ensuring for the strict and effective implementation; At the same time, completing the accession agreement for the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are to lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport in developing a mechanism on control of vessels and fishery products originating from fishing which arrive to Vietnam’s ports, ensuring for the implementation of regulations on port State measures.

The Ministry of Defense shall direct the competent forces to strictly control fishing vessels when they exit and enter ports; not permit fishing vessels to go out to sea when they have not completed procedures, and possess the necessary documents and equipment as prescribed; strictly handle fishing vessels showing signs of illegal fishing in foreign waters; for which, focusing on detecting and proposing to strictly handle acts of brokerage, investing for fishing ships and fishermen that illegally leave and ransom of fishing ships and fishermen that illegally comeback.

The Ministry of Defense shall coordinate with the concerned forces in intensifying the patrol, inspection and control in the sea areas, which is to focus on areas that are not demarcated between Vietnam and other countries for the prompt handling of foreign fishing vessels violating Vietnam's waters. Preventing Vietnamese fishing vessels from violating foreign waters and timely assisting Vietnam’s fishing ships and fishermen in cases where they have problems and are illegally arrested by foreign countries.

EC delegation to inspect IUU fishing in Vietnam A working delegation from the European Commission’s (EC) Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries will visit Vietnam ...

The Ministry of Public Security shall direct the investigation and strictly handle acts of brokerage and investment in fishing ships and fishermen illegally exploiting them in foreign foreign waters; Make a list and strictly manage the number of fishermen who are returned by the foreign authorities; drastically investigate and handle typical cases for deterrence and education.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to continue carrying out the protection of fisherman well, coordinate with the Ministry of Defense to provide evidence of the countries in the region illegally arresting Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen in Vietnamese waters, and waters that are not demarcated between two countries. Leading and coordinating with relevant ministries, branches to boost negotiations on demarcating waters between Vietnam and other countries.