Directive No. 17/CT-TTg 2021 coordination stop the violations of regulations against unregulated fishing

DIRECTIVE

On mechanism of interdisciplinary coordination among committees, ministries, sectors and the People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and centrally run cities in information exchange and processing in order to ward off, then stop the violations of regulations against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) in foreign territorial waters

On October 23, 2017, the European Committee (EU) applied the warning measure of “Yellow Card” to Vietnam’s exploited marine products exported into the European Union (EU) as Vietnamese fishing ships and fishermen breached the regulations against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). In order to have the “Yellow Card” removed and preserve the brands of Vietnamese marine products, the Prime Minister, head of the National Steering Committee against the IUU fishing, has directed various committees, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and the People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities to endeavor and apply resolute measures against IUU fishing, and the EC has recognized and highly appreciated Vietnam’s commitment, political resolve and efforts in applying the anti-IUU fishing measures.

However, the EC held that some activities remain slow, without marked improvement, especially the illegal fishing in foreign territorial waters by Vietnamese fishing ships has dropped but unstably and developed in a complicated manner. One of the important causes thereof is the unclose coordination among committees, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and the People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities in exchange of information, detection, early prevention, investigation and timely handling of violation cases.

In order to resolutely prevent and put an end to the violation of regulations against IUU fishing in foreign territorial waters by Vietnamese fishing ships and fishermen, contributing to the removal of EC’s “Yellow Card”, the Prime Minister requests ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and presidents of the People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities to concentrate efforts on directing the functional bodies to strictly carry out activities of coordination, information exchange, detection, early prevention, investigation and timely handling of violation cases, based on the following major principles and contents:

1. Principles on information exchange and processing

a/ To comply with the Party’s undertakings and guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, in accordance with the functions and tasks of their respective units.

b/ To proactively and regularly exchange information; to ensure the supply of adequate, accurate and timely information.

c/ To ensure the unity, support and effective coordination among concerned agencies.

d/ The information and data exchanged between agencies shall be used only for the professional purposes of the information-supplied agencies.

dd/ Cases arising in the course of coordination in information processing shall be discussed and settled with unanimity under provisions of law.

2. Contents of the exchange of agencies’ information:

a/ The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

- The management of fishing ships and fishermen exploiting marine products on sea.

- The results of fishery cooperation against IUU fishing with other countries, international and regional organizations.

- The fishing ships which lose signals, cross the sea-fishing boundaries, are in the danger of encroaching upon foreign territorial waters.

- The results of handling Vietnamese fishing ships which encroached upon foreign territorial waters.

- The Vietnamese organizations and individuals granted the written approvals or permits for fishing ships to exploit marine products in sea areas outside Vietnamese sea regions.

- The certification of output and inquiry into the origin of exploited marine products; recording and submission of marine product- exploiting diaries and reports.

- The results of certification of information related to fishing ships and fishermen sent for diplomatic missions to use as basis for struggle and protection of legitimate interests of Vietnamese fishermen.

b/ The Ministry of Defense:

- The situation and result of patrol, examination and control at bordering, overlapping or conflicting sea regions not yet delineated between Vietnam and other countries.

- The situation and result of examining and controlling fishing ships exiting and entering ports and wharves as provided.

- The situation and results of preventing, investigating and verifying Vietnamese fishing ships which encroached upon foreign territorial waters for exploitation of marine products.

- The situation and results of intervention and struggle with other countries’ functional forces which illegally seize and handle Vietnamese fishing ships on bordering seas.

- The results of verification of information related to fishing ships and fishermen for diplomatic missions to use as basis for struggle and protection of legitimate interests of Vietnamese fishermen.

c/ The Ministry of Public Security:

-  The situation and results of investigation and handling of cases with signs of organizing, brokering and connecting the dispatches of Vietnamese fishermen and ships for illegal exploitation of marine products in foreign seas; the  illegal entries of fishing ships and people back into the country.

- Other countries’ policies and measures on handling of foreign fishing ships and fishermen encroaching upon their sea regions for illegal exploitation of marine products.

d/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

- The situation of negotiation and conclusion on seas delimitation between Vietnam and relevant countries.

- The situation and results of struggle to ensure the legitimate interests of Vietnamese fishermen arrested and handled by functional forces of other countries.

- The results of collecting information on Vietnamese fishing ships seized and returned by foreign countries (license plates of fishing ships, full names and addresses of ship captains and crew members, encroached sea regions, consequences,  preventing and handling measures applied by foreign countries to seized fishing ships, etc.) for domestic agencies and units to investigate and handle the cases. Evidences of violations by Vietnamese fishing ships and fishermen, supplied by foreign countries.

- Information received via diplomatic channels on response, standpoints and attitudes of other countries and international organizations towards IUU fishing.

dd/ The Ministry of Information and Communications:

The situation on activities of propagating and disseminating knowledge for, and educating fishermen in not encroaching upon foreign sea areas.

e/ The People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and centrally run cities:

- The local fishing ships already registered and inspected; installed with journey supervising equipment, marked; granting, extension, renewal, withdrawal of marine product exploitation licenses.

- The local fishing ships which lose signals while fishing, cross the exploitation boundaries on seas, are in danger of encroaching upon foreign seas.

- The situation and results of checking and controlling fishing ships and fishermen exiting and entering ports and wharves as provided.

- The situation and results of handling local fishing ships and fishermen encroaching upon foreign seas as well as local cases with signs of brokering and connecting the dispatches of Vietnamese fishermen and fishing ships for illegal fishing in foreign sea areas.

3. Mechanism of coordination in information exchange and processing

The information exchange, reception and processing shall comply with the assigned tasks of units and not be interrupted 24 hours/day (in unexpected or emergency cases), by appropriate modes (prescribed by law (written documents, telephone calls, fax, email, etc.).

4. Information exchange and processing coordinators

Heads of relevant committees, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities shall appoint coordinators for information exchange and processing and send the lists thereof to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (the Standing Body of the National Steering Committee for IUU) for synthesis and concurrently to the Ministry of Defense.

5. Information reception and processing responsibility

Heads of relevant committees, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities shall direct, inspect and urge their respective functional agencies or units to receive and process information strictly according to functions, competence and this Directive, ensuring that information are exchanged continuously, safely and confidentially; notify the information processing results to information suppliers and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (the Standing Body of the National Steering Committee on IUU); be answerable to the Prime Minister for fully and promptly processing the received information.

6. Reporting the results of information exchanges and processing

Ministries, relevant ministerial-level agencies and localities shall strictly implement this Directive. The information exchange and processing results of committees, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities shall constitute a content in the reports on the situation and results of implementing the task of struggling against IUU fishing and be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (the Standing Body of the National Steering Committee on IUU) for synthesis and report to the Prime Minister and the Head of the National Steering Committee on IUU.-

For the Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister

LE VAN THANH