Authority installs monitoring devices on offshore fishing boats in Kien Giang Province (photo: SGGP)
This step is considered as the effort of Kien Giang province in removing the EC's yellow card to effectively combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
In the past two successive years, responsible departments of Kien Giang Province have increased information of IUU to raise fishermen’s awareness as well as spread the law on sovereignty over the sea and islands and the law of the sea for tens of thousands of fishermen.
In 2021, the agricultural sector of Kien Giang Province, in collaboration with the Kien Giang Border Guard, has handled 15 violations of seafood exploitation in foreign waters. The local authority has issued sanctions on 11 ships, with a fine of VND7.7 billion. The Kien Giang Border Guard has also imposed penalties on four ships, with an amount of VND 87.4 million.
Thanks to the relentless above efforts, from September 2021 up to now, no cases of fishing vessels in Kien Giang have been found violating IUU.
In 2022, the province will continue to focus on overcoming shortcomings and limitations in illegal, undeclared, and unregulated fishing, strengthening the management of fishing vessels, and strictly handling violations in the exploitation and protection of aquatic resources at sea.
According to the province’s Fisheries Association, about 4,400 members are aware of and will abide by the regulations on fishing, respecting the law of the sea of Vietnam and other countries.
The Fisheries Association also recommended related agencies strictly manage near-shore fishing, using electric pulses, explosives, and toxic chemicals that threaten to destroy aquatic resources.
