On August 25, in Tran De commune, Can Tho city, the Command (BTL) of Coast Guard Region 4 chaired and coordinated with the Justia Newspaper - Spokesperson of the Supreme People's Court, the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee of Can Tho City Party Committee, and the Military Court of Military Region 9 to organize a propaganda campaign on the law on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for nearly 500 officers and people in the form of " mock-ulated court".
This is the third mock trial organized by the Command of Coast Guard Region 4, after two sessions at Tac Cau fishing port (Binh An commune, An Giang) and Ganh Hao commune (Ca Mau). Through each propaganda session, the effectiveness and influence are increasingly affirmed, attracting a large number of cadres, fishermen, ship owners and captains in the area to participate.
The " mock trial" in Tran De recreates the case of the captain and crew members removing the journey monitoring device, sending the ship across the border to illegally exploit seafood in foreign waters. Here, the prosecutor announced the indictment, the defense attorney for the customer and related entities participating in the debate in court, the trial panel and verdict... All took place realistically and logically, making the audience feel like a real trial. Thereby, it has strongly affected the awareness and actions of the propagandized subjects; creating a general spread, deterrence, and prevention.
Many fishermen expressed surprise at the severe punishment for those who violated IUU laws as specified in the "Mock Trial". Mr. Pham Huu Thien, residing in Ap Cang, Tran De commune - a fishing boat owner - shared: "Witnessing today's mock trial, we found it very thorough. Just for personal gain, he had to go to prison, leaving a burden on his family and children. This is a very valuable lesson for us to always be aware of voluntarily complying with the law".
The Regional Command also said that the details of the " mock trial" were renewed, with differences between the venue, focusing on serious violations of the law on the fisheries sector that have occurred many times in the past in the provinces and cities under the management of the Regional Command.
If at the two previous locations, the unit focused on propagating the act of sending ships to foreign waters for illegal exploitation, then at Tran De, the act of removing, sending, and storing journey monitoring equipment to other fishing vessels, making it impossible for management agencies to monitor the actual operation of fishing vessels at sea to be supplemented and clearly recreated so that viewers can clearly visualize the legal consequences of violations.
After three trials, thousands of fishermen attended, leaving a deep impression and creating a positive social effect. Party committees and authorities of coastal localities of An Giang, Ca Mau, and Can Tho all consider this a form of visual, easy-to-understand propaganda, suitable for fishermen - those who have limited access to legal documents.
