Han Changfu: Deepen the Special Cleanup and Rectification Campaign and Advance Marine Fisheries Development

This website reports  On April 20, the Ministry of Agriculture held in Xiangshan County, Zhejiang Province an on-site meeting on cleaning up and rectifying “mothball nets” and fishing-related “three-no” vessels, to review the work of the cleanup and rectification campaign in the previous stage and to remobilize and redeploy the campaign for the next stage. Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture, stressed at the meeting that fisheries departments at all levels must thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, deeply understand the importance, urgency, long-term nature and complexity of carrying out the special cleanup and rectification campaign well, consciously unify their thinking and actions with the requirements of the central authorities, firm up their resolve, rise to difficulties, deepen the special cleanup and rectification campaign, effectively control fishing intensity, conserve fishery resources, and make new and greater contributions to the sustained and healthy development of fisheries, the building of an ecological civilization, and the protection of national maritime rights and interests.

Han Changfu pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the cleanup and rectification of “mothball nets” and fishing-related “three-no” vessels, and has issued important instructions and directives on many occasions, pointing out the direction and setting clear requirements for doing a good job in fisheries and fishery administration work at present and in the period ahead. The Ministry of Agriculture conscientiously implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and directives, and promptly organized localities to carry out the campaign to clean up and rectify “mothball nets” and fishing-related “three-no” vessels. After more than a year of effort, phased results have been achieved. As of the end of March this year, localities had investigated and dealt with nearly 30,000 vessel-times of various types of illegal fishing-related vessels, and cleaned up 350,000 pieces of illegal fishing gear such as “mothball nets”, effectively curbing the use of illegal fishing gear and illegal fishing activities, with foreign-related fishery incidents falling sharply.

Han Changfu stressed the need to resolutely, persistently and tirelessly carry out the special cleanup and rectification campaign in accordance with the law. Targeted publicity and education work must be done well, training and education on laws and regulations governing fishing vessel and fishing gear management must be further strengthened, various cases of illegality and violation must be publicly exposed and handled, and case-based education and warning education must be strengthened; the intensity of law enforcement and inspection must be resolutely increased, a high-pressure and strict crackdown posture must always be maintained, the multi-department collaborative law enforcement and case-handling system must be conscientiously implemented, and source management of fishing vessel repair and construction and netting production enterprises must be strengthened; centralized disposal work must be done effectively, and in accordance with the principle of “verifiable and irreversible”, centralized and unified disposal must be carried out through designated dismantling, destruction and other means; follow-up support must be strengthened by combining dredging and blocking, channels for fishermen to transfer to new posts and find reemployment must be continuously broadened, the development of aquaculture, processing and recreational fisheries must be encouraged, and fishermen who change production and occupation must be encouraged and guided to participate in old-age insurance. The special cleanup and rectification campaign has formed broad consensus and has good conditions, so it is necessary to further firm up confidence, strengthen organizational leadership, improve working mechanisms, and form a powerful joint force; improve laws and regulations and carry out rectification in accordance with the law; actively create policies and strengthen support and safeguards; summarize and promote experience, strengthen nationwide coordination, and ensure victory in this tough battle of special cleanup and rectification.

Han Changfu pointed out the need to conscientiously implement the decisions and arrangements of the central authorities, adhere to placing equal emphasis on production and ecology, and promote the sustained and healthy development of marine fisheries. It is necessary to adjust and optimize the production structure of marine fisheries, promote the standardized renovation of offshore cage aquaculture, and foster the mutual integration and integrated development of aquatic product processing, circulation and recreational fisheries. It is necessary to vigorously develop distant-water fisheries, accelerate the building of a modern distant-water fishery industrial system, and actively cultivate and strengthen modern distant-water fishery enterprises. It is necessary to further strengthen the protection of the marine fishery ecological environment, improve the closed fishing and fishing ban systems, increase the intensity of stock enhancement and release of aquatic biological resources, and comprehensively advance the construction of aquatic germplasm resource protection areas, artificial reefs and marine ranches. It is necessary to effectively advance fishery safety production and foreign-related fishery supervision. Deepen the creation of “Safe Fisheries”, improve and implement the responsibility and management systems for fishery safety production, deepen multilateral and bilateral fishery cooperation, and ensure the safety of foreign-related fisheries.

Before the meeting exchange, the delegates observed the on-site centralized destruction and dismantling of “mothball nets” and fishing-related “three-no” vessels in Xiangshan County. Zhejiang, Fujian and Qinghai made typical speeches at the meeting, and responsible comrades from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the China Coast Guard and other relevant units attended the meeting and spoke. After the meeting exchange, the Ministry of Agriculture and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province jointly held the “East China Sea Fishery Resource Stock Enhancement and Release Activity”, releasing a total of more than 17 million fry of large yellow croaker, black sea bream, yellow drum, grouper, Chinese prawn and other seedlings.