Along with various pieces of software having been used in fishery production, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has worked to digitize the local fishing vessels’ data, hoping to join the nation’s efforts to have the European Commission (E.C.)’s “yellow card” warning removed soon.

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Ca Mau province is stepping up measures to fight against IUU fishing. 

Director of the department Phan Hoang Vu said that with the digitized data, local authorities are able to keep tabs on the fishing vessels’ situation, thus providing fishermen with timely direction and preventing them from illegal fishing.

It also allows localities to update the number of boats with expired fishing and registration licenses or disconnected or uninstalled vessel monitoring system (VMS) devices, he said, adding authorities at all levels could join the management, control, and digitization of vessels’ data through web browser or mobile application.

So far this year, the provincial agricultural sector has documented more than 4,000 vessels with valid fishing licenses, or 98.5% of the total, over 2,500 with valid registration licenses, and all of the vessels with the VMS device; and had their database updated on the local software.

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Su, fighting IUU fishing requires the regular involvement of sectors, branches and competent authorities. It is important to raise locals’ awareness against IUU fishing for sustainable development of the fisheries as well as for long-term livelihoods of the fishermen.

Source: VNA