More than 600 key senior fishery officials from 26 member states, 8 cooperating non-members (CNMs), along with 11 participating territories and international organizations are attending the 19^th Annual Meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) which is taking place in Da Nang from November 27 to December 3.

Co- organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Directorate of Fisheries, plus the WCPFC, the meeting aims to review WCPFC’s important activities during 2022, decide on rules and policies that support the management of the tuna fisheries of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), as well as decide on the official participation of (CNMs). Besides, the event will review compliance obligations of applicants, including Viet Nam, to apply  for CNMs and approve their applications if they meet WCPFC’s requirements .

Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries Tran Dinh Luan delivering his opening speech to the 19th annual meeting of WCPFC on Monday morning. Photo: VAN HOANG

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 19^th annual meeting of WCPFC , Director General of the General Department of Fisheries Tran Dinh Luan highlighted the event as a great opportunity for Viet Nam’s tuna fishing industry, and its fisheries as a whole, to deeply integrate into the global fisheries, thereby contributing to foster bilateral cooperation with WCPFC’s participating countries plus regional and multilateral fisheries organizations, accelerating the removal of the EC's yellow card on Viet Nam’s fisheries, strengthening bilateral cooperation to promote the development of this industry in line with the Prime Minister –approved deep sea fishing scheme, as well as facilating Viet Nam to become a CNM in 2023, and make it easier for the country to further promote the development of the industry in the subsequent years.

Although Viet Nam is not an official member of WCPFC, the country has been working with member states, CNMs, and participating territories to foster the conservation and sustainable use of migratory fish stocks in the WCPO since 2009.

WCPFC's supporting projects have created favourable conditions for Viet Nam to receive technical support and advanced technology in fishing and preserving tuna and swordfish. Furthermore, Viet Nam’s fisheries management and research staff have been given the opportunity to attend training courses and seminars in order to have access to complete, accurate, and timely information on fishery resources, as well as enhance their professional skills. Therefore, they can use approaches and tools to evaluate and define a total allowable catch for each year or a certain period. As a result, effective management solutions and fishing methods will be developed to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, mainly tuna, in Vietnamese waters.

International delegates discussing on the sidelines of the 19th annual meeting of WCPFC on Monday morning. Photo: VAN HOANG

According to the Directorate of Fisheries, Viet Nam is accelerating gradual transformation of its small-scale fisheries towards sustainable development with a focus on increasing aquaculture production and ensuring sustainable exploitation of fish resources.

As of November 2022, total fisheries production in Viet Nam had been reported at estimated 8.2 million tons. In detail, catches was estimated at 5 million tons while aquaculture production was estimated at 4.6 million tons. In the first 10 months of 2022, seafood exports were valued at US$9.4 billion. Viet Nam is one of the three countries that are enjoying benefits from support policies of the West Pacific East Asia Oceanic Fisheries Management Project.

Currently, the Directorate of Fisheries is carrying out the West Pacific East Asia Project (WPEA) funded by New Zealand through the WCPFC from 2019-2022, and this project has been extended to 2023. Besides, a project for the management of the tuna fisheries of the Western and Central Pacific Region using an Ecosystem Approach is underway.

Reporting by VAN HOANG – translating by H.L