Vietnam & Indonesia seek cooperation in fisheries and fighting illegal fishing

Vietnam expects to boost cooperation with Indonesia in fisheries and fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), an official has said.

During talks with Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, on August 7, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung proposed three areas for bilateral cooperation between the two ministries.

Apart from suggested cooperation in seafood science, technology, and trade, especially in lobster breeds, tuna, and seaweed, Vietnam looks forward to signing an MoU in fisheries between the ministries.

The two sides should also establish a hotline on fighting IUU fishing, he added.

Regarding cooperation in seaweed, he proposed cooperation in scientific research and sharing technologies in raising, processing, and the trade of high-quality seaweed varieties.

In tuna, he called for the Indonesian side to facilitate businesses from both countries to directly connect and cooperate with each other without relying on a third country.

Deputy Minister Trung also proposed Indonesia soon enable the export of lobster breeds to Vietnam.

For his part, the Indonesian Minister agreed with Mr. Trung’s proposal for an MoU to be signed soon and assigned relevant bodies to work with Vietnamese bodies regarding the establishment of a hotline on IUU prevention, and to settle fishing violations committed by fishermen from both sides in a humanitarian spirit and not to criminalize such violations.