Ben Tre (VNA) – The southern province of Ben Tre is ramping up efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as it prepares to welcome the European Commission’s (EC) fifth inspection mission, aiming to have the “yellow card” warning lifted.
According to the provincial People’s Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has been tasked with coordinating closely with local authorities at district, city and commune levels to update records on inactive, damaged, or missing fishing vessels. The department is also enhancing efforts to encourage vessel owners to complete registration and licensing procedures, while conducting sudden inspections at mooring areas and ports to detect unlicensed operations or expired certifications.
In collaboration with the provincial Border Guard Command, the department is working to verify all vessels that have lost connection to the vessel monitoring system (VMS) between six hours and ten days during April. Measures are being reinforced to tightly monitor ships anchored for extended durations and prevent repeat offenses. Authorities will strictly penalise those who intentionally avoid VMS installation or interfere with system connectivity.
The provincial Fisheries Port Authority and related units have been directed to increase on-site supervision of seafood unloading, cross-check input material verification and catch certification documents, and conduct internal reviews to ensure traceability records are complete and compliant with regulations.
The provincial Border Guard Command, in coordination with the provincial police and agriculture department, is stepping up patrols and controls, resolutely handling violations and publicising the list of violators. Those with repeated violations may face additional penalties, including temporary suspension of operations.
In recent years, Ben Tre has recorded notable progress in IUU prevention. The province now has 3,649 registered fishing vessels, with 3,474 licensed to operate, accounting for 95.2%. Of the boats required to undergo technical inspections, 2,282 have completed the procedure, equivalent to 91.76%. A total of 1,998 vessels are mandated to have VMS devices installed, with a compliance rate of 98.96%.
Ben Tre also continues to effectively coordinate information exchange and submit regular monthly reports under the eight-province cooperation framework for offshore fishing vessel management. It maintains ongoing collaboration with Coast Guard Regions 3 and 4 to monitor local fishing activity in southern waters.
Additionally, the province remains consistent in managing vessel arrivals and departures at fishing ports, overseeing seafood landings, and ensuring full compliance with traceability protocols, including port call tracking and product unloading procedures./.
