In order to resolutely prevent and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan has directed functional agencies and coastal localities to urgently deploy urgent tasks during the peak period against IUU fishing, preparing to work with the European Commission Inspection Team (5th time).
Regarding fleet management, Mr. Tuan requested coastal communes and wards and authorities to review all fishing vessels that have not been inspected, have not renewed their licenses and support fishermen in conducting inspections. In case the ship owner does not comply, the ship must be forced to return to a centralized anchorage area and must not be allowed to go to sea.
For the 9 "3 no" fishing vessels (unregistered, unregistered, no fishing license), localities must make a list, bring them to anchorage areas for management, not allow them to depart; and mobilize ship owners to dismiss (deletes registration, terminate exploitation) according to the province's support policy.
For 314 fishing vessels that have expired but have not been inspected due to conversion, Mr. Tuan directed the owner to disclose the version according to the support policy, resolutely not allowing these vessels to operate or leave the port for exploitation. Similarly, for 466 fishing vessels whose fishing licenses have expired (including 117 vessels anchored outside the province, 281 vessels anchored in the province and 68 vessels onshore), the authorities must strictly manage them, not allow them to go to sea, and mobilize them to release them according to the policy.
In monitoring work, the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DONRE) and functional forces and local authorities must strengthen monitoring of fishing vessels on the monitoring system, arranging 24/7 duty to promptly detect and handle violations. Coastal communes and wards absolutely do not allow fishing vessels to install tracking devices; if violations occur, local leaders must be responsible to the Chairman of the province.
For fishing vessels anchored in the waters of the southern provinces, they must quickly notify local authorities and request not to depart. Continue to send working groups to the southern provinces to propagate and mobilize fishermen to sign a commitment not to violate foreign waters.
The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee directed the authorities to send officers to the captain and ship owner's residence to verify and draw up administrative fines for serious violations, such as: loss of connection to the journey monitoring device for more than 6 hours without reporting the location to shore, loss of connection for more than 10 days without returning to shore, crossing the permitted boundary, violating exploitation in foreign waters in the period from January 1, 2024 to August 30, 2025.
In addition, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan assigned the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant agencies to advise on carefully preparing the content and program and issuing a Working Plan with the Inspection Team of the 5th European Commission, ensuring the best results, determined to remove the IUU "yellow card" as soon as possible. Advising and submitting to the Provincial People's Committee to issue a policy to support the dismantling of fishing vessels to report to the Provincial People's Council for consideration at the upcoming thematic session.
