Ca Mau (VNA) – The southernmost province of Ca Mau is stepping up efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as local authorities intensify measures to address shortcomings identified by the European Commission (EC) and move toward the removal of the EC's “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood exports.
Accordingly, the province has simultaneously implemented a wide range of measures to strengthen control over fishing activities. Various practical and creative communication methods have strengthened understanding among fishing communities, delivering real results and showcasing positive changes in the marine economy.
Located at Vietnam’s southernmost tip, Ca Mau possesses more than 310km of coastline and a fishing fleet of over 5,000 vessels, making the marine economy a key pillar of local development. However, the EC’s “yellow card” warning has posed significant challenges for seafood exports and market access, underscoring the need for stricter governance and traceability.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Thanh Nhan, Political Commissar of the Ganh Hao Border Guard Station, said extensive outreach efforts have helped fishermen better understand the Party and State's policies and regulations on IUU fishing. He noted that greater awareness will encourage a stronger sense of responsibility in protecting marine resources and complying with international standards.
Local fishermen have also acknowledged improvements in management and supervision. Huynh Van Long, a veteran fisherman from Ganh Hao commune, said border guards now conduct thorough inspections of vessel documentation and onboard equipment before departure. Vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and regular naval patrols, he added, have helped fishermen feel more secure while avoiding encroachment into foreign waters.
Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said all fishing vessels measuring 12 metres or longer have completed registration, inspection and licensing procedures in accordance with regulations. The province has also finalised the integration of fleet data into the national fisheries database (Vnfishbase) and VMS.
There has been significant progress in document management, with Ca Mau successfully tracing all 218 vessels whose registrations have been revoked since 2020, and achieving 100% digitalisation of records for vessels with expired fishing licenses.
At fishing ports and estuaries, vessel entry and exit procedures are being strictly enforced. Designated ports have been equipped with sufficient personnel and modern technology to operate the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT) and electronic logbooks (elogbook), helping strengthen seafood origin verification for both domestic authorities and international markets, the official said.
Despite positive progress, Su acknowledged that several bottlenecks remain. The digitalisation rate for fishing licenses currently stands at 97.66%, while several vessels in three key localities have yet to meet requirements. Some unresolved cases involving vessels losing tracking signals for more than 10 days, as well as incidents of illegal fishing in foreign waters, are still under investigation.
In response, the Chairperson of the provincial People’s Committee has ordered leaders of agencies and localities to treat anti-IUU fishing efforts as an urgent and key task. Local authorities have been urged to complete the digitalisation of documentation for high-risk vessels, enhance port controls, and finalise coordination plans for monitoring and information sharing.
With stronger enforcement, improved data management and coordinated action across the political system, Ca Mau is seeking not only the removal of the EC’s “yellow card” warning, but also the long-term development of a responsible, transparent and internationally integrated fisheries sector./.
VNA
