The Coast Guard Region 4 Command has reported significant results from a month-long campaign to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, conducted from August 1 to September 2 in line with a directive from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defence.
The unit deployed 25 patrol vessels to monitor the southwest sea area, particularly in waters bordering Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. Nearly 8,000 fishing boats were tracked, while officers directly contacted 823 owners of vessels that lost Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) signals. Authorities also tightened control over “three-no's” vessels, that have no registration, no examination, and no licences, as well as boats anchored at islands, preventing them from infringing on foreign waters.
During the campaign, seven vessels with 74 crew members were seized for serious IUU violations, including transporting VMS devices removed from other boats. Administrative fines totaling more than 300 million VND were imposed on 32 vessels. In addition, the unit uncovered three cases of illegal fuel transport involving 186,000 litres of diesel oil and provided emergency medical support to two injured fishermen.
Alongside enforcement, the Coast Guard Region 4 Command stepped up communication and legal education. Officers directly reached more than 5,200 fishermen on 678 boats, and broadcast information through maritime communication systems to over 25,000 crew members. The unit also diversified its communication formats to make regulations more accessible and practical for fishermen.
A highlight of the campaign was the organisation of three mock trials in coordination with Cong Ly (Justice) newspaper, the official organ of the Supreme People’s Court, and the Military Court of Military Zone 9. Staged in An Giang, Ca Mau, and Can Tho, the events attracted more than 1,500 participants and helped raise awareness among local fishermen about the consequences of IUU violations, from removing VMS devices to infringement of foreign waters, and the need the comply with the law.
Colonel Nguyen Van Tranh, Deputy Commander for Legal Affairs of the Coast Guard Region 4 Command, urged units to maintain momentum, draw lessons from practice, and adopt more resolute and effective measures. He stressed that preventing IUU fishing is vital to lifting the European Commission’s “yellow card” and building a sustainable fisheries sector for Vietnam’s long-term development./.
