The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is stepping up efforts to crack down on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, contributing to the nation's goal of having the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood lifted.
According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, Dong Thap will intensify communication campaigns to popularise legal regulations related to IUU prevention, aquaculture practices, and the protection of aquatic resources.
The province is also effectively carrying out key tasks such as registering and inspecting fishing vessels, issuing certificates of origin for seafood exports to the European market, granting fishing licences based on quotas, certifying vessels that meet food safety standards, and updating vessel information on the national fisheries database (VN-Fishbase).
In addition, local authorities are monitoring the installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on fishing boats and working closely with relevant agencies to inspect and ensure that 100% of fishing vessels measuring 15 metres or more are equipped with VMSs when operating at sea.
Attention has also been paid to effectively implementing a coordination mechanism for monitoring vessel journeys to prevent local fishing boats from engaging in illegal operations in foreign waters, and strengthening management of "three no’s" fishing vessels - those lacking registration, inspection certificates, and licences.
Patrols and inspections of fishing vessels entering and leaving ports have been strengthened to detect and handle violations. Relevant agencies are maintaining continuous monitoring of fishing vessels and taking action against those that lose connection, cross maritime boundaries, or remain out of signal for more than 10 days.
Notably, Dong Thap is continuing to effectively implement policies that encourage offshore fishing, aquaculture, and related marine services in distant waters.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment reported that through legal education and communication campaigns, fishermen have been updated and conscious of regulations related to marine fishing activities, particularly those concerning vessel monitoring at sea. As a result, since 2023, Dong Thap has reported no cases of fishing vessels infringing foreign waters.
A vessel monitoring team and an inspection team to prevent IUU fishing were set up under the provincial Sub-department of Fisheries. A task force was established to inspect the installation and sealing of VMS and VX 1700 radios and verifies inactive local fishing vessels as part of IUU prevention efforts.
Dong Thap has equipped 915 fishing vessels with VMSs, reaching a 100% installation rate among active boats. The province has ensured that 100% of fishing vessels entering and leaving ports are recorded in the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT), and that all receipt issuance records are processed through this system. To date, a total of 6,573 fishing vessel departures and arrivals have been registered at the fishing ports via the eCDT system./.
