Overcoming IUU 'yellow card': Binh Thuan inspects seafood exports to Europe

According to the Steering Committee against illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing (IUU) of Binh Thuan province, implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee on the implementation of anti-IUU measures to prepare for The 4th inspection of the European Commission (EC) inspection team is expected at the end of May, Binh Thuan will organize an inspection of enterprises exporting seafood to the European market.

The inspection period is expected to be in 3 days, from May 15 to May 18. The competent authorities will conduct inspection of enterprises in the province that have activities of purchasing raw materials, processing and exporting seafood to the European market, focusing on inspecting the export document management system. seafood export of enterprises; the process of managing input materials and traceability of aquatic products from fishing; compare the records of controlling the origin of aquatic materials from the exploitation of the enterprise with the records of monitoring materials from the catches of the management agency.

Fishing boats return to Phan Thiet fishing port.

The purpose is to check the compliance with the provisions of the law on anti- IUU fishing by establishments and businesses in the province that have activities of purchasing raw materials, processing and exporting seafood to the European market; review and guide documents for certification and certification of the origin of caught seafood, ensure the traceability of aquatic products in the chain and fully comply with the provisions of law, prepare to work with the Youth Union. Inspection of the European Commission to inspect Vietnam for the 4th time.

At the same time, through the inspection, it will promptly detect, correct and handle organizations (enterprises, seafood purchasing, processing and exporting establishments ) and individuals that intentionally violate regulations on IUU, legally documentation for the export of seafood shipments to the European market.

Implementing the peak 180-day plan to remove the "yellow card" for seafood and to prepare for the 4th inspection of the EC inspection team, the functional forces of Binh Thuan province have coordinated with the local authorities in the region. the sea deploys many solutions to combat IUU fishing; promote propaganda and mastery of central and local directive documents in order to create important changes in the awareness and sense of law observance of fishermen.

From the beginning of 2023 to the present, units of the provincial border guard have coordinated with the forces and authorities of 35 communes, wards and towns in the province's maritime border area to organize more than 110 propaganda sessions for more than 16,000 fishermen on the provisions of the law on prevention of IUU fishing. Thereby, distributing and building more than 30,000 leaflets, leaflets, propaganda posters of all kinds; guiding and organizing for more than 3,800 fishing vessels with a length of 12m or more to sign a commitment not to exploit IUU...

In addition, coordination between functional forces inside and outside the province to manage fishing vessels, combat IUU fishing in association with the implementation of the Fisheries Law has also been drastically and regularly deployed; inspect and strictly control fishing vessels at the port, at sea and through the fishing vessel monitoring system. From there, early detection to warn and prevent timely cases of violations of IUU fishing, violations of foreign waters. As of April 21, Binh Thuan has completed the installation of about 99% of fishing boats with a length of 15 m or more.