According to the Directorate of Fisheries under theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the national fisheries database(Vnfishbase) shows that as many as 223 fishing boats in localities have yet toinstall the VMS equipment although their operating licences are still valid.
Nguyen Quang Hung, deputy head of the Directorate ofFisheries, urged localities to work to ensure that all of the remaining fishingvessels are equipped with the device.
The number of fishing boats that have beendisconnected for more than one year reaches 2,335 to date, accounting for 8% ofthe vessels equipped with the device, he added.
Such boasts should be monitored closely like thosewithout the VMS equipment, he stressed.
Hung pointed out the fact that many localities havenot operated the monitoring system round the clock, and many others have yet toissue regulations and procedures for fishing vessel information processing.
Moreover, only about half of the vessels with the VMSequipment have activated the device, he continued, asking localities to review theoperations of all boats measuring from above 15 metres in length.
Le Van Ninh, deputy director of the FisheriesInformation Centre under the Directorate of Fisheries, also stressed the needfor localities to quickly issue regulations on the installation, dismantlingand replacement of the equipment.
On October 23,2017, the European Commission (EC) issued a "yellow card" warning toVietnam, after the country failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in thefight against IUU fishing.
The commission is scheduled to conduct an inspectionover IUU fishing in Vietnam in June 2023./.