On September 15, 2024, Mr. Le Van Su, Vice-Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with members of the Provincial Steering Committee and representatives of provincial departments and branches, inspected the results after one week of implementing the Provincial People's Committee's plan on the peak campaign to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district.
 

Mr. Le Van Su (standing person), Vice-Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee inspects the implementation of the peak campaign against IUU fishing in Song Doc town.

According to the report of the People's Committee of Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district, up to now, the locality has drastically implemented many specific solutions such as: establishing five support teams; the reinforcement force of the province and district has also promptly supported the locality, strengthening propaganda and mobilizing people. Organizing statistics, finding fishing vessel owners,etc. However, currently in the area, there are 306 new vessels with expired licenses. When the vessel owner goes to renew the inspection, he must have the electronic identification number VneID level 2 of the Ministry of Public Security to submit the application on the Online Public Service software. If the ship owner dies or has sold the ship but has not yet transferred the name, the buyer cannot submit the application for an extension of the inspection and fishing license; if the ship owner arbitrarily converts the ship without the approval of the competent authority, the inspection and fishing license cannot be extended. On the IUU digitization software of the province, there are many sheets with many different groups of ships and many forms that must be completed. Therefore, digitizing the documents for updating takes a lot of time, making it difficult to check and digitize the data into the system; in some cases, when the Support Team arrives, the ship owner does not receive, etc.

After listening to reports from the grassroots, learning about the working methods of the Support Teams, opinions of relevant departments, branches and professional agencies, Mr. Le Van Su, Vice-Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, said that the members of the Steering Committee have made great efforts in directing during a week of the peak. However, in terms of methods, working methods, and force arrangement, the results achieved still have many issues that need to be resolved. Therefore, during the period of the peak campaign against IUU fishing, he directed localities to be more proactive and drastic in strictly managing fishing vessels in the high-risk group, tracing the origin of the vessels that have been sold to carry out the digitization of fishing vessels on time; unifying the way to check fishing vessels; supporting people in carrying out procedures for registering and inspecting fishing vessels, including “3 Nos” vessels (no registration, no re-registration, no license); thoroughly handling criminal and administrative violations related to IUU, etc. The support force coordinates smoothly, closely, and has a firm grasp of the support content. Point out scientific and methodical ways for the guidance teams to implement, avoid having to revise and revise many times, the establishment documents must be tight. Each member of the Provincial and District Steering Committee must make efforts, stick to the area, the assigned work must be clear and timely with the ultimate goal of preventing fishing vessels in the province from violating foreign waters, towards legal fishing at sea and in accordance with International Law. Fishermen and fishing vessel owners also need to comply with and comply with regulations on legal fishing at sea. The province's peak campaign against IUU fishing will take place from September 5 to 30, 2024, with an important, urgent task of long-term significance for the sustainable development of the province's fisheries sector and also the determination to continue to strengthen the fight against IUU fishing, join hands to remove the EC’s “yellow card” and prepare conditions to welcome the 5th EC inspection delegation to Ca Mau province.