On January 15, in Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province, the Navy held a conference to review the work of combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2024 and deploy directions and tasks for 2025.
In 2024, agencies and units in the Army have thoroughly grasped and strictly implemented resolutions and directives from above on combating IUU fishing. Notably, strictly maintaining forces, means, and on-duty systems at all levels; organizing patrols and strictly controlling fishing vessels operating in border waters; proactively developing and adjusting plans, strengthening forces to carry out anti-IUU fishing tasks in the field during peak times; grasping the situation, promptly advising, proposing, and effectively handling situations, avoiding being passive and surprised.
During the year, agencies and units held over 200 propaganda sessions for nearly 21,500 people in coastal areas, especially in the provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Binh Thuan, Bac Lieu... donating nearly 1,000 life jackets, over 3,000 national flags, supporting over 200m3 of fresh water, nearly 2 tons of rice, providing free medical examinations and medicine to over 4,200 people...
The scope of propaganda is widely deployed in the mass media, on land and all sea routes, including offshore and in border waters, on the task of combating IUU fishing.
The Navy regularly maintains 27 patrol boats in the sea areas, through which it has administratively inspected 1,280 fishing boats operating in the border waters; promptly prevented 278 fishing boats intending to cross the border into foreign waters; recorded 135 fishing boats violating regulations on not having enough documents, not having seafood exploitation logs, etc.
Closely monitor fishing vessel activities through the system of managing and monitoring the journey and activities of fishing vessels in the sea (VMS), promptly instructing targets for vessels in the field to check and verify.
The units have coordinated with localities to verify the fishing vessel incident, the identity of fishermen violating foreign waters and activities against IUU fishing; coordinated and called on 159 ships operating close to the maritime boundary with Malaysia and Indonesia to return to Vietnam's waters for exploitation...
The anti-IUU fishing vessels of the units in the Service always play a core role in preventing and combating natural disasters and conducting search and rescue operations at sea and islands. During the year, the units participated in 110 search and rescue missions, rescuing 208 fishermen who were sick or had work-related accidents and 19 fishing boats in distress at sea. Thereby, creating a reliable support for fishermen to confidently go out to sea and stick to the sea, contributing to the management and firm protection of the sacred sovereignty of the sea, islands and continental shelf of the Fatherland.
Speaking at the conference, Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung - Deputy Commander of the Navy - acknowledged and commended the results and achievements of agencies and units in carrying out the task of combating IUU fishing.
To effectively carry out the work of combating IUU and removing the European Commission's Yellow Card warning, the Deputy Commander of the Navy requested agencies and units to innovate the content, form and methods of propaganda; raise awareness and responsibility for fishermen in exploiting seafood at sea, not violating foreign waters.
Units strictly maintain vehicles and duty systems at all levels. Coordinate with forces of the Border Guard, Coast Guard, and Fisheries Surveillance to patrol and strictly control sea areas bordering other countries.
Maintain the effective operation of joint command posts at all levels; closely monitor fishing vessels on VMS equipment; resolutely chase away foreign fishing vessels, not allowing the creation of "black spots" and "traditional fishing" areas.
Strengthening defense diplomacy, joint patrols, information exchange with functional forces of other countries, timely coordinating to harmoniously and satisfactorily handle cases of fishermen violating sovereignty at sea.
