Dong Thap has completed registration for its fleet of 1,505 fishing vessels. (Illustrative photo: VNA)  

With a 32km coastline, the southern province of Dong Thap is demonstrating strong resolve in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, contributing to nationwide efforts to have the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning to Vietnamese seafood lifted.

Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Ha Luan said Dong Thap has completed registration for its fleet of 1,505 fishing vessels. All have obtained the required permits, vessel markings, technical inspection certificates, and food safety documentation. Each is equipped with a vessel monitoring system (VMS) which operates 24/7 and has data updated on the national fisheries database (VNFishbase), the VMS platform, and the national digital ID system (VNeID).

Dong Thap has enforced a strict ban on vessels leaving ports without active VMS connection to ensure transparency and traceability.

In Gia Thuan commune, home to the province’s largest fishing fleet with 566 vessels, no IUU violations have been recorded thanks to effective awareness campaigns.

Since 2024, the province has deregistered 370 vessels with owner changes, ensuring full compliance with the Law on Fisheries. Besides, the fishery ports of My Tho and Vam Lang have played a key role in overseeing arrivals, monitoring catch volumes, and ensuring traceability through the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT), which is used to control vessel entry and exit and to record catches.

Building on recent progress, Dong Thap is intensifying anti-IUU fishing measures, with local authorities and agencies instructed to mobilise resources and ensure strict enforcement. Local officials will be held accountable if violations occur within their jurisdictions. Measures include expanding awareness raising campaigns, directly engaging with fishing communities, and monitoring high-risk vessels.

Authorities are compiling a list of vessels that failed to prove its seaworthiness while border guards and port authorities have been tasked with ensuring that no non-compliant vessel is authorised to depart for fishing activities.

The province also maintains close coordination with the Commands of Coast Guard Regions 3 and 4 to detect and handle incidents at sea.

Nguyen Thanh Dieu, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said these efforts have yielded positive results, with Dong Thap recording no vessels violating foreign waters since 2024. This reflects a significant improvement in compliance across the local fishing fleet./.