Ba Ria-Vung Tau: Ship owners violating vessel-monitoring-system rules fined over 3.6 billion VND

The functional forces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province check a fishing boats. (Photo: VNA)

Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA) – The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has so far this year imposed fines worth 3.6 billion VND (151,674 USD) for ship owners violating regulations on installing and operating vessel monitoring systems (VMS), a key work in Vietnam’s efforts combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The fines were imposed in two violation cases involving 27 people and 45 vessels.

According to a report by the provincial People’s Committee, competent local forces have investigated and handled all those fishing ships that do not keep their VMS devices connected while operating at sea.

Between December 2022 and now, the local Border Guard High Command’s fishing vessel monitoring centre has worked around the clock, thus detecting and punished 1,787 and 33 vehicles losing tracking connection for over 6 hours and over ten days, respectively.

In September 2017, the European Commission (EC) issued a yellow card warning Vietnam for failing to progress in fighting IUU fishing. The EC also proposed nine recommendations that Vietnam should implement. The "yellow card" is followed by a "green card" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" if it isn’t. A “red card” can lead to a trade ban on fishery products.

An EC inspection team will visit Vietnam to examine the country’s anti-IUU efforts this October./.

VNA