Within the scope of a cooperation program on incorporating technology into combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the Fisheries Information Center, Directorate of Fisheries (DFISH) collaborated with Marinelife Conservation and Community Development Centre (MCD) to organize the “Technical training workshop on VMS system operation and development of standards for VMS device and risks management” on November 19-20, 2020 in Binh Dinh province.

Delegates at the Workshop at Hoang Yen Hotel, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh

The workshop revolved around capacity building for Fisheries officials from central to local levels with regards to VMS technology application; feedback on software for monitoring fishing vessel activities and feedback on the criteria of the Draft VMS device standards; and discussion on the evaluation criteria for fishing vessels at risk of IUU fishing.

The workshop took place in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province, with the participation of 52 delegates, including Mr. Le Van Ninh – Deputy Director of Fisheries Information Center, Ms. Nguyen Thu Hue – Director of MCD, Mr. Nguyen Cong Binh – Deputy Director of Sub-Department of Fisheries of Binh Dinh Province, VMS experts from the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and delegates from the Sub-Departments of Fisheries, Management Board of the fishing ports and VMS operators from 22 different provinces across the country.

Mr. Le Van Ninh – Deputy Director of the Fisheries Information Center delivering speech at the Workshop

Ms. Nguyen Thu Hue – MCD Director delivering speech at the Workshop

Coastal provinces of Vietnam are so far roughly finished installing VMS devices on fishing vessels in compliance with the regulations and implementation guidelines of the 2017 Fisheries Law. The objective is not only to monitor fishing vessel activity through vessel monitoring software but more importantly, to make effective use of the information to intervene in IUU violations or to detect and promptly prevent potential IUU violations.

At the Workshop, delegates learned to first-hand operate the fishing vessel monitoring system and provided relevant feedback to improve the software’s functionality. Besides the objective to improve the efficiency of fishing vessel monitoring, the workshop brought up the issues of developing standards for monitoring devices installed on fishing vessels and evaluation criteria for fishing vessels with a tendency for IUU fishing.

Mr. Le Cong Binh, Vice Director of Binh Dinh Sub-Department of Fisheries engaged in discussions at the Workshop

According to the delegates, the topics discussed in the workshop are crucial to the monitoring of fishing vessels. Nonetheless, these topics are relatively new and in need of more discussions and assessments and following up to complete the set of criteria and indicators.

This activity belongs to the project “Technical assistance to develop fishing vessel tracking data system in Vietnam” conducted by MCD in cooperation with Global Fishing Watch. The project aims to provide technical assistance for national and provincial fisheries officers and managers in VMS data analysis and vessel management reports to enhance the enforcement of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing regulations, thereby contributing to improving fisheries management in Vietnam.

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Center for Marine Life Conservation and Community Development (MCD) is a Vietnamese non-governmental organization pioneering in the field of environmental protection and marine ecosystem conservation, striving for coastal areas of Vietnam with Clean and safe environment, sustainable marine ecosystems and good quality of life for coastal communities.

Web: http://mcdvietnam.org

Email: mcd@mcdvietnam.org