During two days from November 23-24, the 10th Conference of the Joint Working Group in the field of fisheries between Vietnam and the Philippines was held in Phu Quoc city, Kien Giang province. Vietnam and the Philippines have agreed to strengthen cooperation and mutual support in many areas of the fisheries industry.
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Nhu Van Can, Deputy Director General, Department of Fisheries (DOF), Vietnam and Mr. Isidro M. Velayo, Jr., Deputy Director for Technical Affairs of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Philippines co-chaired.
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Nhu Van Can, Deputy Director General, Department of Fisheries (DOF), Vietnam and Mr. Isidro M. Velayo, Jr., Deputy Director for Technical Affairs of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Philippines co-chaired.
The Joint Working Group Conference in the field of fisheries between Vietnam and the Philippines is an annual conference held on a rotating basis in the two countries to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation in the field of fisheries. between Vietnam and the Philippines signed on June 28, 2010. The 10th Conference of the Joint Working Group in the field of fisheries between Vietnam and the Philippines (hereinafter referred to as the Conference) from November 23 – 24, 2023 in Phu Quoc, Kien Giang.
At this Conference, the two sides discussed the situation of cooperation in the field of aquaculture; Cooperate against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; Cooperate in developing regional guidelines on climate change adaptation indicators for exploitation and aquaculture and other related contents.
Save the ocean through seaweed farming
Regarding Aquaculture, the two sides shared the current status of aquaculture development in each country, especially the seaweed farming development program. The Philippine side shared the Seaweed Development Program of the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) including main production areas, seaweed production trends, seaweed export value, issues and challenges in seaweed development.
The Philippine side also shared experiences on measures to improve seaweed quality as requested by the Vietnamese side and emphasized the development of organic seaweed farming to promote the use of environmentally friendly and materials biodegradability. Developing seaweed is also one of the measures to create livelihoods for fishermen.
The Philippines said it is currently upgrading its seaweed registration and certification system according to the Philippine National Standards for Good Aquaculture Practices through the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Standards.
At the Conference, Vietnam requested the Philippines to support seaweed farming techniques. The Philippine side agreed to provide technical assistance through a bilateral agreement and proposed to continue exchanging information on aquaculture, especially seaweed farming, and organize field visits in both countries.
In addition, the Philippines also shared the progress of implementing the project “Blue Horizon: Rescuing the ocean through seaweed farming” using GEF ODA capital. Currently, the Philippines has implemented 02 components in Palawan province and Zamboanga peninsula – 02 selected locations of the project.
Cooperate and share experiences in removing EC’s yellow card warnings
Regarding the field of combating IUU fishing, at the Conference, the Vietnamese side shared the Fisheries Development Strategy to 2030 and the National Program for effective and sustainable fisheries development for the period 2022 – 2025; Sharing experience in fisheries management, including management of fishing fleets, monitoring, inspection, and control of fishing vessel activities at sea, monitoring, inspection, and control of fishing vessels at ports, and confirmation, certifying aquatic products, tracing the origin of aquatic products, enforcing fisheries laws and handling violations. At the same time, the Vietnamese side has proposed cooperation contents including: (i) Extending the Agreement on the use of a hotline to exchange information to resolve IUU fishing and other fishing situations on the sea between the two countries to enhance coordination, supervision and notification to relevant Government Agencies on monitoring the activities of fishing vessels; (ii) Sharing information and experiences on the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Rehabilitation Project (FISHCORE) recently approved by the World Bank: (iii) Supporting Vietnam to become a member of WCPFC; (iv) Share experiences in developing and implementing the on-board Fisheries Observer Program. At the Conference, the Philippine side shared its efforts to combat IUU fishing including conducting monitoring, inspection and control (MCS) activities through field activities both at sea and on land, maintaining The vessel monitoring system adopts the Integrated Marine Environmental Monitoring System (IMEMS), which monitors fisheries facilities and products to check and control seafood quality. Furthermore, quarantine, fishing vessel registration and licensing activities are carried out through the Vessel Registration System (BoatR) and the Fisheries Electronic Licensing System (FeLiS). One of the Philippines’ efforts to combat IUU fishing is the implementation of the Electronic Traceability System (eCDTS), a system that digitizes the fishing recording process and simplifies the traceability of aquatic products, ensuring food safety and better management of fisheries and aquatic resources.
The Philippines also addressed the implementation of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) and the Rules and Regulations Governing the Landing and Transshipment of Previously Unlanded Fish and Fish Products and Other port services in the Philippines for foreign flag shipping lines. The Philippines shares the establishment of Fisheries Management Zones as key fishing grounds, integrating a science-based framework and sustainable management of aquatic resources to end overfishing and combat IUU exploitation.
At this Conference, the two sides agreed to extend the “Agreement on using a hotline to exchange information to resolve IUU fishing activities as well as other fisheries/maritime situations”. The Philippine side said that currently the Legal Department of the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is reviewing the Agreement and will add content on the use of digital platforms to the Agreement and determine the method of communication between two countries in the Agreement.
In addition, the Philippine side also shared its experience in removing the Philippines’ EC yellow card warning to Vietnam. The two sides agreed to support each other in participating in international organizations and multilateral organizations in the field of fisheries such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)… End of the conference , the heads of the two countries’ delegations agreed and signed the joint minutes.
Source: https://tongcucthuysan.gov.vn/