Ca Mau is pressing on with drastic and comprehensive management solutions to prevent and strictly handle violations. All IUU fishing cases will be investigated, verified, sanctioned, and criminally prosecuted if there is sufficient basis.
Bac Lieu considers combating IUU fishing as an urgent, important, and long-term task to ensure the sustainable development of its fishery industry, said a provincial leader.
Local authorities have worked together to monitor, track, detect, and prevent fishing vessels and fishermen intending to violate foreign waters directly within communities.
The ministry received the notification from the EC’s Directorate – General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG-MARE) in early May, which requested Vietnam to submit a progress report on implementing the EC’s recommended improvements before September 15. The commission will dispatch an inspection team to the country in late 2025 if the report demonstrates sufficient advancements.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment particularly focused on resolving all EC concerns before September 15, the deadline for submitting a progress report to the commission, as well as ensuring thorough preparations for the fifth inspection so as to secure the removal of the “yellow card” warning.
As part of the campaign, on April 25, the Trung Binh border post in Tran De district hosted an outreach conference attended by over 100 participants, including local fishermen, boat owners, and captains operating in the district’s coastal border region.
Since the beginning of this year, Kien Giang province has imposed administrative fines on 15 VMS-related cases, totalling 760 million VND, down 11 cases compared the same period last year. Additionally, 35 cases related to IUU fishing have been handled, with total fines of over 325 million VND
The Command of Coast Guard Region 2 briefed the fishermen on the Law of the Sea of Vietnam, the Fisheries Law, and legal documents related to IUU prevention. Officers also provided guidance on identifying areas under Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction, traditional fishing grounds, warning zones, and prohibited fishing areas.
Since April 2024, authorities in Ca Mau province have penalised 338 cases involving 391 fishing vessels, imposing fines totalling nearly 6 billion VND (230,900 USD).
According to the Binh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Environment, the province has completed registration for all “three-no” fishing boats - vessels without registration, licences or monitoring systems - measuring six metres or more. About 2,710 such vessels have been registered, meeting 100% of the ministry’s requirements and 2,012 operational vessels have been fitted with VMS devices.
The inspection campaign, which runs from March to November, is divided into multiple peak phases aimed at detecting, preventing, and strictly handling violations of fishing regulations. It also seeks to raise fishermen’s awareness and compliance with the law.
However, the monitoring rate of seafood catches at ports remains low. In 2024, only just over 23% of caught seafood was monitored through ports, due to inadequate infrastructure for unloading and handling them.
The provincial border posts and checkpoints are requested to strictly inspect 100% of vessels entering and exiting stations, prohibiting those without the necessary qualifications from departing.
Vietnamese localities are intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, enhancing control over fishing ports and offshore activities in accordance with the European Commission’s (EC) recommendations.
To further tighten control, the Tien Giang Department of Agriculture and Environment recently established task forces to monitor the operation of vessels, their compliance with fishing regulations, and the installation of the vessel monitoring system.
Strong moves have been made to handle the vessels infringing foreign waters, violating VMS rules, not entering ports for unloading as regulated, or failing to meet operational conditions.
To address the limitations in the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Sam Son city has established a inter-sectoral force to combat IUU fishing. The task force regularly directs, guides, inspects, and handles two-no (unregistered, unlicensed) and three-no (unregistered, uninspected, unlicensed) fishing boats in its communes and wards.
