Ben Tre (VNA) – The southern province of Ben Tre is intensifying its efforts to meet the requirements on fishing vessel registration and fishing licence as part of efforts to fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Currently, 86.7% of local fishing vessels have been registered and 82% granted fishing licences. The rate of vessels equipped with VMS devices reached 98.62%.
The total number of "three no's" boats – vessels with no registration, no licence, and no inspection – has been published as 1,149, of which 317 have registered, while competent agencies have inspected and guided 543 others in undertaking registration procedures.
Nguyen Minh Canh, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, emphasised that the province will continue to implement drastic measures to address shortcomings and prepare for the EU’s upcoming inspection delegation.
He said Ben Tre is intensifying educational activities targeting fishermen on legal requirements and IUU violations. Fishermen, boat owners, and their families are required to sign commitments acknowledging the resolution and pledging not to engage in IUU fishing or infringe on foreign waters.
To further enhance compliance, Ben Tre is expanding its outreach to boat owners through targeted communications, particularly focusing on high-risk vessels suspected of violating foreign waters. Each vessel owner will be directly supported by a local official or party member to ensure effective monitoring and management.
The province is also focusing on the management of "three no's" boats in line with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's guidelines and is enforcing strict penalties for violations.
Ben Tre will maintain strict monitoring of 100% off-shore fishing vessels, especially those operating in offshore areas and high-risk zones. The province is committed to preventing violation of foreign waters by coordinating closely with authorised forces to address issues in real-time at sea.
Additionally, the province facilitates effective operation of its fisheries control teams, ensuring rigorous inspection of fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, monitoring catch volumes, and tracing the origin of seafood. The implementation of electronic logs and database systems is underway to facilitate easier storage, tracking, and management of fishing data.
Since 2022, Ben Tre has implemented a strategy assigning local officials and party members to oversee high-risk fishing vessels. Currently, 237 officials are directly responsible for 356 vessel owners, encompassing a total of 506 boats in the province./.
