Dong Thap (VNA) – With a 32-km coastline and a fleet of over 1,500 fishing vessels, southern Dong Thap province has taken strong, coordinated measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, yielding promising results.
Since 2024, there have been no recorded cases of IUU fishing in the province, thanks in large part to extensive awareness campaigns among fishermen.
Around 60% of the vessels are large enough to operate in distant fishing grounds such as Con Dao, Truong Sa, and DK1. Currently, 1,291 vessels have been licensed, equipped with tracking devices, and integrated into the fisheries management system.
Gia Thuan commune, in eastern Dong Thap, has 566 vessels, including 426 offshore and 140 nearshore, with an average annual catch exceeding 42,970 tonnes. Local authorities have conducted regular awareness campaigns through community meetings, mass media, and leaflets, emphasising compliance with the 2017 Fisheries Law, Government Decrees 26/2019/ND-CP and 38/2024/ND-CP, and administrative penalties for violations such as incomplete or inaccurate fishing logs. Since 2022, no local vessels have been involved in illegal fishing in foreign waters.
The Truong Duy Fisheries Cooperative, with 15 offshore vessels and 85 members, reported full adherence to legal regulations after repeated briefings of the local authorities. Dong Thap Border Guard forces have also coordinated with relevant agencies to educate captains and fishermen, distribute leaflets, verify documents, and ensure vessels operate in registered areas and permitted industries.
To further support the nationwide effort to remove the EU “yellow card” and promote sustainable fisheries, the provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1365/QD-UBND on November 3, 2025, establishing an inter-agency coordination framework for IUU management. Agencies are tasked with increasing inspections, strictly handling violations, complying with European Commission recommendations, and improving traceability and certification of seafood products.
Official Dispatch No. 1601/UBND-KT, issued on November 4, 2025, assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to lead inspections, guide fishermen in maintaining logs, and handle illegal fishing. Since early this year, the department has monitored vessels with lost tracking signals, sent notices to vessel owners, and reviewed the mooring of 129 vessels, resolving most cases.
Currently, 100% of vessel arrivals and departures at ports are recorded in the electronic catch traceability system (eCDT), covering 8,985 movements.
Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Ha Luan affirmed that the department will continue enforcing measures to fight IUU fishing, monitoring vessel movements, and addressing disconnected or out-of-bound vessels to ensure full compliance with national fisheries law./.
