In his remarks to Mr. Feleti Penitala Teo, who is chairing the 19th WCPFC meeting in Vietnam, Mr. Tran Dinh Luan expressed gratitude and appreciation to the WCPFC Executive Director, Secretariat, and Committees. WCPFC has chosen Vietnam to hold its 19th Annual Meeting due to technical and financial considerations.
Mr. Tran Dinh Luan shared at the conference the rules, policies, and directions for the growth of Vietnam's fisheries in the future, in order to comply with the demands of the association and international law. He also discussed the state of the country's seafood industry at the moment. Vietnam has recently made significant efforts and actively collaborated with other nations and international organizations to manage fisheries in a sustainable manner. This is also Vietnam's long-term direction and development plan for the fishing industry in general and the fisheries sector in particular.
Vietnam's fishing industry has participated in and complied with international conventions on the management and conservation of aquatic resources such as the Migratory Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA), the National Measures Agreement, and the International Convention on Fisheries Resources Conservation ports (PSMA), Regional Action Plan to Combat IUU Fishing (RPOA IUU), Regional Initiative to Combat IUU Fishing; Participate in and comply with the WCPFC's migratory fish stocks conservation and management measures as a non-member but cooperative country (CNM). Specially, Vietnam's fishing industry is working to remove the “yellow card” of the European Commission for fishery products exported to Europe.
On this occasion, Mr. Tran Dinh Luan also urged that WCPFC support Vietnam's tuna management going forward. In order for Vietnam to completely comply with pertinent laws and regulations and establish a productive and sustainable fishery, WCPFC and other nations continue to fund technical initiatives on the management and exploitation of migratory fish resources. This will help to advance sustainable development and responsible fishing while also enhancing the lives of fishermen.
Mr. Luan specifically brought up Vietnam's registration to participate as a full member of WCPFC in the near future as one of the meeting's crucial concerns. Mr. Luan also hoped that the WCPFC and Mr. Feleti Penitala Teo personally would continue to pay closer attention to Vietnam, share management experiences, connect with partners, member countries of the WCPFC, and Vietnam, as well as with other regional fisheries management organizations to help Vietnam manage and develop its fisheries in a successful and sustainable way.
Vietnam's fishing industry will continue to integrate deeper to maintain the sustainability of the development industry thanks to Vietnam's complete and responsible compliance with pertinent international accords and as a CNM member of WCPFC. As a full member of WCPFC, we also anticipate actively participating and making a more significant contribution to the regional fisheries management system of WCPFC.
In his remarks, Mr. Feleti Penitala Teo thanked the meeting's attendees for their support in helping to organize the WCPFC19 Conference, as well as the leaders of the Vietnamese government, the ministry of agriculture and rural development, the directorate of fisheries, and any other relevant local agencies.
Mr. Feleti Penitala Teo also expressed his impression on the recent economic development in Vietnam and appreciated the efforts and active collaboration with other nations and international organizations for their efforts. Vietnamese fisheries have recently been managed sustainably. It is hoped that Vietnam will continue to play a significant and productive role in the sustainable development of the Central-Western Pacific Fisheries.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Tran Dinh Luan and Mr. Feleti Penitala Teo and the participants directly visited some booths and enjoyed high-value added seafood products made from fish such as tuna, basa, produced by associations and businesses such as the Vietnam Fish and Fisheries Association; Ha Long - Da Nang Canned Food One Member Company Limited; Mai Tin Food Co., Ltd (EVERTRUST FOODS CO., LTD and others. Among other possible markets, the products on display at this conference have been shipped to Japan, Europe, and America.
Le Mai (theo tongcucthuysan.gov.vn)