The statement was made by Nguyen Ngoc Oai, General Director of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the 33rd COFI session held at the FAO’s headquarters in Rome, Italy, from July 9-13.
The move was of more significance as it was announced during the COFI’s regular session in front of FAO leaders and representatives of member states, Oai said.
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Fisherman provided with knowledge on fishing-related laws |
COFI leaders and delegates highly evaluated Vietnam’s decision, affirming that it demonstrated the country’s responsible commitments to international issues towards the sustainable development of fishery, he stressed.
According to the official, with its participation in PSMA – the first important international agreement on fishery, Vietnam will focus on building legal frameworks, intensifying management over foreign ships and imported seafood, increasing information exchange between parties involved and strengthening monitoring over offshore fishing.
The Government assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to coordinate with relevant agencies in implementing the agreement in line with current regulations.
Adopted by FAO member countries in 2009, the agreement took effect on June 5, 2016. It was assessed to be a turning point in the fight against law violations in the fisheries sector.
As of May 2018, PSMA had been joined by 54 nations and the European Union (EU), of which the EU, the US and Japan are Vietnam’s important seafood export markets.
COFI, a subsidiary body of the FAO Council, was established by the FAO Conference at its 13th Session in 1965.
The committee presently constitutes the only global inter-governmental forum where major international fisheries and aquaculture problems and issues are examined and recommendations addressed to governments, regional fishery bodies, NGOs, fishworkers, FAO and international community, periodically on a world-wide basis.
Source: VNA