Gia Lai (VNA) – The central province of Gia Lai is making concerted efforts to follow the European Commission (EC)’s recommendations on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, using digital tools to make fisheries data more transparent and seafood easier to trace.
Fishing logs have become mandatory in recent years for vessels of 12 metres or longer. Three months after the province rolled out an electronic version for those boats, most Gia Lai fishermen have become used to logging their catches on smartphones.
Nguyen Anh Dung, Deputy Director of the Gia Lai Fisheries Port Management Board, said electronic logs let regulators track each vessel's catch accurately and gather data quickly for reporting. They also make it easier to trace where seafood was caught and help the province meet the EC's recommendations.
The Gia Lai Sub-Department of Fisheries said every active vessel of 12 metres in length or more now carries a vessel monitoring system (VMS) device, including those that regularly operate, anchor, or enter and leave ports outside the province.
Meanwhile, the local fisheries sector has also standardised its vessel data and linked it to the national population database, laying the groundwork for a modern management system with accurate, connected records.
The province has also introduced a smart warning system that tracks vessels in real time and automatically sends alerts when a boat loses its connection or crosses a fishing boundary. The alerts let owners adjust course quickly, helping cut violations and reinforce compliance./.
