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Tag: vietnam

Bad boy: Vietnam earns villain status

Categories @WCPFC14, News, NewsPosted on 7 December 2017
Bad boy: Vietnam earns villain status
Three illegal Vietnamese blue boats moored at theSolomon Islands wharf on 29-03-2017. Photo Pacific Guardians

By NETANI RIKA, Pasay City, the Philippines

DESPITE its promise to address the issue of illegal fishing the Pacific, Vietnam has found itself out in the cold at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission for the second year in a row.

Desperate to be included among the membership of the world’s largest fishery, the Vietnamese have been thwarted by their inability to control the ubiquitous blue boats which plunder regional reefs of beche de mer and clams.

Last year at Denarau, Fiji, Vietnam promised to exert greater control over illegal fisheries by its fleet.

But on Day One of the 14th WCPFC here, news broke of the interdiction of two more blue boats, this time by French authorities in New Caledonian waters after an extended surveillance exercise.

“We find this unacceptable,’’ said Manuel Ducrocq, Head of Delegation for New Caledonia.

“These blue boats are reef rapists. They take sharks from within the shark sanctuary without consideration for biological conditions and the importance of species to the eco-system.”

The most recent blue boat interdiction revealed that Vietnamese fishermen had taken shark skins and fins along with beche de mer and giant clams.

A total of 10 tonnes of beche de mer in 58 drums were seized by the French Navy from two blue boats. The captains of the vessels have been convicted and fined by the local magistrate in Noumea.

But the cost of the illegal activities goes much further than what the poachers take.

Ducrocq said that by law French authorities were obliged to accommodate and feed the arrested crews and later pay for their repatriation to Vietnam.

“For 12 crew members we are obliged by French law to see that they are accompanied by 15 police officers,” Ducrocq said.

“So not only do we have the cost of surveillance, the interdiction and then their accommodation but in addition we must pay 15 return airline tickets for our police to ensure these people arrive in Vietnam.

“That is a huge cost which is borne by the government and cannot be recovered.”

French authorities estimate that the most recent infraction by the Vietnamese will cost them around $USD1.5million.

While blue boat activities have no direct link to tuna fisheries and the 14th WCPFC, the inaction or inability of Vietnam concerning its fleet has implications on its status as a Co-operating Non-Member of the commission.

“If they cannot control small boats which poach smaller fish, then what about management of (the larger fishing) fleet?” Ducrocq asked.

“We’ve had discussions with Vietnam at a political level and it’s obvious that it’s hard for them to manage their coastal fisheries.”

The task is so hard that these small boats which can spend up to 30 days at sea are able to slip past their national patrols and enter the waters of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and New Caledonia.

In the most recent case two boats were spotted by French maritime patrol aircraft based at Tontouta International Airport in New Caledonia and tracked for two days before navy units were sent to intercept them.

“New Caledonia cannot accept that others come and take resources from our territorial waters,” Ducrocq said.

“It’s a violation of the rights of the native population.

“The (blue boat) activities come at a huge cost to communities which are highly dependent on the ocean resources. Their food security is directly threatened and there are livelihood issues at stake here for the native community.”

Ducrocq said the intention of the WCPFC was to allow Small Island Developing States – most of them much more vulnerable than New Caledonia – to manage their resources.

“For the native population the sea is their refrigerator,” Ducrocq said.

“They take what they need and leave the rest for later and in this way they maintain the ecological balance.

“But poachers threaten the maintenance of that balance and now we find they are even targeting uninhabited island resources.”

In its effort to achieve cooperation through consensus, the collective WCPFC membership is often reluctant to take punitive measures against members and partners.

However, Vietnam’s consistent failure to address Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing outside of the tuna fisheries has forced New Caledonia to look at taking unprecedented action.

“If Vietnam’s response (to the blue boats issue) is not sufficient, we may have to review its status at the WCPFC,” Ducrocq said.

“We are waiting to see whether they are serious or not. We must think positively and Vietnam has a unique opportunity here to make a change.”

Given that its last response was to deny any responsibility for illegal activities conducted by private sector fishing fleets, it’s difficult to see Vietnam taking harsh measures against the blue boats.

History shows that Vietnam will most likely claim inability to monitor and police illegal operators.

And that will mean it continues to be seen by the region as a villain whose only place at the next WCPFC will be out in the cold.

Author Netani Rika

Vietnam asked to step up efforts to stop marauding blue boats

Categories @WCPFC14, News, NewsPosted on 7 December 2017
Vietnam asked to step up efforts to stop marauding blue boats
Fishing boats off Nha Trang Vietnam - Ed Yourdon NY

By Bernadette Carreon, Manila

Manila, Philippines —- Vietnam is again under pressure to explain what measures it will put in place to stop the small blue boats poaching the reef resources of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and New Caledonia representatives at the 14th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) here reiterated that the Vietnamese blue boats are unwelcome in the region.

“We have a saying, that just because you are not catching them, does not mean they are not here,” Eugene Pangelinan, head of the FSM’s National Oceanic Resource Management Authority (NORMA).

Pangelinan said that before coming to the WCPFC meeting, there was optimism that the Vietnam government had heeded the calls for it to stop blue boats departures, as sightings in the Pacific had become rare since the incursions were brought to the attention of Hanoi at last year’s WCPFC meeting in Nadi, Fiji.

Although the blue boats target coastal reef resources and not tuna, Pangelinan said, this is still a problem of IUU fishing and affects the ecosystem.

“The tuna commission is managing tuna fisheries, what we are calling on Vietnam are to step up to the plate and undertake its flag obligations.

“We will be looking for Vietnam’s more detailed or direct response on their monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS),” Pangelinan said.

New Caledonia’s representative Manuel Ducrocq earlier warned the WCPFC that the blue boats are back in the region.

Last week New Caledonia intercepted two Vietnamese Blue boats in its waters.

In an update to journalists covering WCPFC he said 10 tonnes of gutted and salted sea cucumber were found on board in 58 barrels. Shark fins were also found during the apprehension. These had been caught in a shark sanctuary, in violation of international rules and New Caledonian law.

In addition, he revealed three more blue boats had been sighted sailing along the sea boundary between New Caledonian and Australian waters but the vessels had disappeared before authorities were able to apprehend them.

Ducrocq said blue boats are a problem in New Caledonia and pose a huge cost in feeding the crew members of the detained boats.

He said that this is a problem of IUU that Vietnam should fix.

Vietnam is a cooperating non-member of the WCPFC.

“If Vietnam’s response (to the blue boats issue) is not sufficient, we may have to review its status at the WCPFC,” Ducrocq warned.

“We are waiting to see whether they are serious or not. We must think positively and Vietnam has a unique opportunity here to make a change.”

Fisheries Forum Agency (FFA) Director General James Movick said this is a problem recognized by FFA members.

In May, FFA issued a collective statement to help Pacific countries to address the newest threat for Pacific reef systems, Vietnamese Blue Boats.

Movick said that aerial surveillance of the reef systems within Pacific exclusive economic zones is part of the tools that can be used to spot these blue boats.

“We hope that by January we start to mount the aerial surveillance program that we can deploy in North Pacific, in FSM and Palau,” Movick stated.

…/ENDS

Author Bernadette H. Carreon

Blue boats are back, warns New Caledonia

Categories @WCPFC14, News, NewsPosted on 7 December 2017
Blue boats are back, warns New Caledonia
Fishery inspector - copyright Francisco Blaha

By RONALD TOITO’ONA, In Manila

AFTER a lull in sightings of illegal Vietnamese Blue Boats in the Pacific seas, New Caledonia has warned Pacific States that the illegal fishing boats are back.

The Tuna Commission was told this week in Manila, Philippines about the Blue Boat threat, despite all the efforts to crack down on them.

New Caledonia is the latest country to sight the boats, Thursday last week.

“The purpose of my intervention to warn the members of the Western Pacific by sharing with you what is happening now in New Caledonia,” said the French territory’s representative Manuel Ducrocq.

“Blue Boats are back in the region.

“Despite the statement of several Commission members during last plenary session, despite the joint effort between FFA members, the QUAD (the defence forces of Australia, New Zealand the United States and France) and New Caledonia to join their knowledge and diplomacy, despite the yellow card delivered by the EU to Vietnam, Blue Boats are back in our waters,” Mr Ducrocq told the opening session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

The francophone territory also remembered well a Vietnamese statement in the last Tuna Commission meeting in Fiji, which explained that the Vietnam government was highly concerned over the Blue Boats activities in the Pacific seas.

Looking back at the Vietnamese statement, the New Caledonia delegation to this year’s WCPFC14 said they (Vietnam) is still not doing much to address the issue.

“I remember the statement by our friend, the delegate of Vietnam, during last TCC who explained us that Vietnam is highly concerned about IUU fishing but it is apparently not enough.

“Indeed two Blue Boats were intercepted last Thursday in the waters of New Caledonia. Boats and crew have been delivered by the French navy to justice,” Mr Ducrocq stated.

Five tones of gutted and salted sea cucumber and shark fins were found on board the apprehended vessels.

“I know that sea cucumber is not a highly-migratory species but this time shark fins and was equally found on board.

“Sharks were illegally fished in the participating territory of the Commission …, against the New Caledonia fishing policy in a shark sanctuary. One more time, it is not acceptable,” the representative said.

It was understood that the Commission will be informed officially of these facts, when the 14th Tuna Commission meeting continues this week.

With the successful interception of the two blue boats, New Caledonia wishes to thank Australia for the efficient co-operation work with the French navy.

Towards the middle of this year, three Blue boats were caught in the Indispensable reef of Solomon Islands, and the captains and crews were ordered to pay huge fines, for breaching the country’s laws.

These Blue Boats and their illegal activities are now a serious threat to nations of the Pacific region.

The recent incident in New Caledonia will prompt other Pacific Island countries, and other fisheries bodies like the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), to continue to call on Vietnam to be cooperative, in the current 14th regular Tuna Commission meeting.

\\ends

Author Ronald Toito'ona

Vietnamese blue boats incursions raised anew at WCPFC

Categories @WCPFC14, News, NewsPosted on 4 December 2017
Vietnamese blue boats incursions raised anew at WCPFC
New Caledonia's Manuel Ducroque (left) with Micronesia's Eugene Pangelinan briefing FFA Media Fellows to the 14th Pacific Tuna Commission (WCPFC14)-- raising the ire of Pacific nations, Vietnam's Blue Boats are still pillaging Pacific reef systems. (Photo: LisaW)

by Bernadette H. Carreon

WCPFC14, Manila, Philippines – Illegal fishing by boats from Vietnam continues to be a problem in the Pacific, with New Caledonia and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) raising the issue anew at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

New Caledonia’s representative Manuel Ducrocq warned the WCPFC that the blue boats are back in the region.

“Despite the statement of several Commission members during last plenary session, despite the joint effort between FFA (Forum Fisheries Agency) members, the QUAD (military forces from USA, Australia, New Zealand and France) and New Caledonia to join their knowledge and diplomacy, despite the yellow card delivered by the EU to Vietnam, Blue Boats are back in our waters,” Mr Ducrocq told the opening session of WCPFC.

Last week New Caledonia intercepted two Vietnamese Blue boats in its waters.

On board were five tonnes of gutted and salted sea cucumber. Shark fins were also found during the apprehension. These had been caught in a shark sanctuary, in violation of international rules and New Caledonian law.

“One more time, it is not acceptable,” the New Caledonia rep stated firmly.

To reach New Caledonia the Blue Boats had to travel more than 7000 kilometers from their homeland through the exclusive economic zones of other Pacific countries.

Blue Boat incursions continue pose a serious and ongoing threat to many coastal nations including to fisheries, livelihoods and sovereignty a Forum Fisheries Agency statement read to the WCPFC by Eugene Pangelinan, head of the  FSM’s National Oceanic Resource Management Authority (NORMA) stated.

The FFA has requested an update from Vietnam on its implementation of its official directive which was supposed to deal with the issue of the blue boats. It also wants Vietnam to tell the Commission of what it has done to deal with the boats.

Bypassing tuna, these poachers target coastal fish stocks and other marine resources that are easier to harvest. Blue Boats have been spotted in Palau, FSM, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Caledonia and Solomon Islands.

Days before the official opening of the WCPFC, Tuna Commission Executive Director, Feleti Teo warned the continued poaching by Blue Boats might affect Vietnam’s application to be a member of WCPFC, although he conceded the issue has not been raised directly at the Commission level.

“In the context of the Commission there has been attempt to link (Blue Boats to membership) because as you know most of the Blue Boats originate from Vietnam and Vietnam is a cooperating non-member,” Teo stated.

In May this year the FFA convened a special meeting on Blue Boats.

FFA director General James Movick said existing monitoring, control and surveillance of Pacific tuna fisheries can help Pacific countries address threat from Blue boats.

The Philippines is hosting this year’s annual meet from Dec. 3 to 7.

WCPFC sets fishing rules for migratory fish, particularly tuna. Its meetings bring the resource-owning states of the Pacific together with global fishing powers to agree on ways to protect and maintain fish stocks.–ENDS

Author Bernadette H. Carreon

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