Can Tho (VNA) – Not a single fishing vessel in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has violated foreign territorial waters for the third year in a row, according to a local official.
While acknowledging the locality’s efforts in the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Vice Director of the city’s Department of Agriculture and Environment Quach Thi Thanh Binh said the city faces difficulties with 105 vessels having failed to renew their registration licences.
Many vessels have ceased operations due to unprofitable fishing ventures, she said, adding that since the licences are valid for only one year, owners operating at a loss chose not to renew their documentation. Many fishermen have sought employment opportunities far from their homes, leaving their boats inactive for years.
The Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection has collaborated with border guards and IUU inspection teams to document the anchoring positions of inactive vessels and ensure that there is no fishing equipment onboard to prevent any unauthorised departure.
Besides, the department was ordered to update data on vessel registration, licensing, and violations to the national fisheries database (VNFishbase), the administrative violation management software, and the vessel monitoring system (VMS).
Can Tho city is now home to 795 registered fishing vessels with a combined capacity of 209,648 horsepower. Among those, 346 vessels measure 15 metres or longer, requiring the installation of monitoring systems, and 28 vessels provide logistical support services to the fishing industry.
From the outset of this year, 126 vessels have experienced offshore connection losses with the tracking system. Authorities investigated and confirmed that seven of these boats had already returned to shore, with photographic evidence of their positions submitted to the Directorate of Fisheries. The remaining vessel operators were contacted and instructed to restore their connection. Those unable to reconnect were required to report their locations regularly to the monitoring teams./.
