Directive No. 03/2006/CT-BTS on Strengthening Management of Fishing Activities in Vietnam's Marine Areas

DIRECTIVE

On strengthening management of marine fishing activities

in Vietnam's maritime zones

___________________________

Pursuant to the Fisheries Law and related regulatory legal documents, in recent times, the Ministry of Fisheries has actively cooperated with relevant ministries, sectors, and coastal provincial People's Committees to manage marine fishing activities in Vietnam’s maritime zones, leading to significant improvements in fishing operations, contributing to national defense and security, and safeguarding the country's maritime sovereignty; however, there remain some issues in marine fishing activities:

- In distant-water fishing: A model for organizing distant-water fishing has not yet been established; the efficiency of distant-water fishing activities conducted by many fishing vessels remains low; investment in infrastructure development, post-harvest services, product consumption organization, post-harvest preservation, production organization in teams, resource surveys, and fishery field forecasting is still limited. Accidents continue to occur in distant-water zones without timely rescue efforts. Foreign vessels still violate Vietnam's maritime zones, and Vietnamese fishermen's vessels are still seized by foreign entities in border maritime zones.

- In nearshore fishing: A community-based management model for nearshore fishing has not been established, failing to mobilize fishermen's voluntary participation in fishing and protecting aquatic resources. Many fishermen still use prohibited explosives, electric currents, poisons, fishing gear, and vessels to fish; they violate restricted areas and periods, catch prohibited species, and undersized aquatic animals. Competition and conflicts between vessels and fishing methods still occur; many vessels operate outside their designated fishing routes, large-capacity vessels still enter nearshore waters, affecting nearshore aquatic resources; new fishing vessel construction is not effectively managed, leading to uncontrolled increases in fishing capacity and depletion of nearshore resources.

To address the aforementioned issues, the Minister of Fisheries requests that all Departments, Bureaus under the Ministry, Provincial Fisheries Services, and Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development responsible for fisheries management implement the following actions:

1. The Department of Fishing and Aquatic Resource Protection

- Collaborate with the Institute of Marine Products Research, the Institute of Fisheries Economic Planning, and Provincial Fisheries Services to develop plans for restructuring and reorganizing production to enhance economic efficiency in fishing on each territory. Adjust occupational structures and fishing vessel sizes to develop appropriate fishing fleets for each fishery zone and route to ensure sustainable exploitation of aquatic resources.

- Establish regulations for fishing activities organized in groups, associations, and cooperatives.

- Collaborate with Provincial Fisheries Services to strictly manage the construction, registration, inspection of fishing vessels, and issuance of fishing permits to control fishing vessel forces along each route.

2. The Department of Science and Technology

- Implement research projects and programs to promote distant-water fishing technology, post-harvest preservation, reduction of post-harvest losses, mechanization of fishing, and organizational models for distant-water fishing and community-based fishing management models.

- Collaborate with the Department of Organization and Cadres to establish a Steering Committee for the Mechanization Development Program at the Ministry's leadership.

3. The Institute of Marine Products Research

- Continue conducting investigations and studies on aquatic resources in maritime zones; compile investigation results and fishery field forecasts to provide information to Provincial Fisheries Services, Ministry units, and mass media for fishermen to achieve effective fishing outcomes. Assess changes in marine resource dynamics, environment, and propose management measures.

- Study and introduce advanced fishing technologies; post-harvest preservation methods; and mechanization of the fishing industry to improve fishing efficiency, product quality, and reduce labor intensity.

- Develop occupational structures and vessel types suitable for each maritime zone as a basis for adjusting current fishing vessel conditions.

4. The Legal Affairs Department

Collaborate with the Department of Fishing and Aquatic Resource Protection, National Fisheries Promotion, Provincial Fisheries Services, and related units to strengthen information dissemination and propaganda regarding the Fisheries Law and subordinate legal documents, international laws, so that organizations and individuals understand clearly and do not violate regulations concerning resource protection, zoning, and delineation in fishing activities, and do not infringe upon other countries' maritime zones, ensuring fishing vessels operate according to regulations and combine with national maritime sovereignty protection.

5. The National Fisheries Promotion Center

Strengthen propaganda and dissemination of scientific and technological knowledge, state policies and laws, and fishery resource investigation results and fishery field forecasts to coastal fishermen, quickly transferring advanced technical progress and new technologies to enable fishermen to sustainably exploit aquatic resources and achieve high economic efficiency.

6. The Department of Collective and Private Economy

Collaborate with the Institute of Economic Planning, Provincial Fisheries Services to reorganize nearshore maritime zone management based on community involvement, researching and developing suitable organizational models for each maritime zone; proposing policies to delegate management rights to communities for nearshore maritime zones for the Ministry to submit to the Prime Minister for consideration and approval.

7. Provincial Fisheries Services

- Promptly assess the situation of marine fishing activities in the province, organize restructuring of occupational structures and fishing vessel sizes suitable for existing fishing routes and resource fields to ensure sustainable exploitation within the province's maritime jurisdiction.

- Advise the provincial People's Committee to delegate rights and guide coastal fishermen to participate in nearshore fishing and resource management based on community involvement.

- Coordinate with levels, sectors, and occupational associations to guide fishermen in establishing voluntary fishery associations and cooperatives; organize fishing along coastal and offshore lines in teams to support each other during production at sea; establish civilian maritime self-defense teams to ensure national defense security and safety for fleets when operating in various marine areas.

- Enhance management and operational capacity of fishing ports and wharfs to better serve the fishing community; use fishing ports and wharfs as centers for managing activities such as vessel entry and exit, food safety assurance, public order and security, environmental sanitation, production and business operations, and education and propaganda on state policies...

- Strictly manage new construction, registration, inspection of fishing vessels, and issuance of fishing permits to control the fishing fleet engaged in aquatic resource exploitation along specific routes.

- Strengthen propaganda, education, and guidance on relevant domestic and international laws to ensure organizations and individuals fully understand and do not violate regulations concerning aquatic resource protection, zoning, and line demarcation in fishing activities, avoid infringing upon the territorial waters of other countries... while combining efforts to protect maritime sovereignty and security.

The Minister of Fisheries requests that the Directors of Bureaus, Department Heads, heads of subordinate agencies under the Ministry, and Directors of Provincial Fisheries Services implement this Directive strictly based on their functions and responsibilities./.