Ca Mau (VNA) – The southernmost province of Ca Mau has launched a peak campaign against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, mobilising the entire political system to implement eight groups of tasks and solutions aimed at addressing long-standing shortcomings and contributing to the removal of the European Commission’s (EC) "yellow card" warning on Vietnamese seafood exports.
The province is determined to prevent local fishing vessels from encroaching on foreign waters while eliminating destructive fishing practices that threaten marine resources.
As one of Vietnam’s largest fishing centres, with an extensive coastline and a sizeable offshore fleet, Ca Mau considers combating IUU fishing a top political priority. Provincial authorities said recent efforts have yielded positive results, particularly in fisheries management and law enforcement.
According to the provincial People’s Committee, Ca Mau has 5,156 registered fishing vessels with a combined engine capacity of more than 801,000kW.
All fishing vessels required to install vessel monitoring system (VMS) equipment have done so and are maintaining stable connections with the national monitoring system. Registration, inspection and fishing licence issuance have also been carried out in line with regulations.
The province has largely completed the digitalisation of fishing vessel records. All vessels measuring at least 15 metres in length operating at sea are monitored around the clock through the VMS, enabling authorities to quickly detect, warn and prevent vessels from crossing maritime boundaries or losing signal.
Ca Mau is also among the country’s pioneers in applying digital technology to seafood traceability through the electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) system, ensuring transparency from vessel departure and arrival to seafood unloading at designated fishing ports.
Since the beginning of the year, authorities have processed 13,544 port entry and departure procedures. About 83,757 tonnes of seafood, accounting for 44.4% of the province’s total marine catch, have been unloaded through designated ports, while 138 certificates covering 1,245 tonnes of legally harvested seafood have been issued. Notably, no fishing vessels from Ca Mau have been found operating illegally in foreign waters, and no cases involving sanctions for VMS disconnections have been recorded.
To consolidate these gains, the provincial People’s Committee has instructed departments, agencies and coastal localities to intensify the campaign, assigning clear responsibilities to agency heads and local authorities.
The campaign prioritises reviewing and digitalising vessel records, strengthening supervision of high-risk vessels and regularly updating lists of boats ineligible for operation. Party members and officials will continue monitoring assigned vessels and conducting periodic inspections.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Su ordered authorities to strictly handle violations involving VMS disconnections, illegal boundary crossings, unlicensed operations, incomplete ownership transfers and decommissioned vessels that continue operating. The province will also accelerate investigations into criminal cases involving the illegal removal, transport or use of VMS equipment and those organising or assisting illegal fishing in foreign waters, he said.
At the same time, authorities are increasing patrols in coastal waters and cracking down on destructive fishing practices while encouraging fishermen to adopt environmentally friendly fishing methods or transition to suitable aquaculture models.
Su reaffirmed Ca Mau’s commitment to eliminating IUU fishing, preventing local vessels from operating illegally in foreign waters and joining nationwide efforts to secure the EC’s removal of the "yellow card" warning./.
