HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City is intensifying efforts against against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing to support the national goal of having the European Commission (EC)'s “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood lifted by 2025.
The municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment reported that as of mid-August, the city had 5,076 fishing vessels, with 1,208 unqualified boats barred from going to sea. Data on more than 4,800 vessels has been updated on the VNFishbase and vessel monitoring system (VMS), and linked with the VNeID database for tighter management.
Port surveillance has been reinforced, with 7,476 arrivals and 8,295 departures inspected since the start of the year, covering over 56,000 tonnes of aquatic products. The around-the-clock VMS has helped reduce cases of disconnection and boundary violations.
Since July, authorities have conducted eight patrols, inspecting 364 vessels and discovering 53 violations. A total of 114 administrative offences have been fined, amounting to over 2 billion VND (approximately 80,000 USD). Additionally, serious cases, such as the dismantling of monitoring devices and illegal fishing abroad, have resulted in prosecutions.
The department acknowledged ongoing challenges, such as vessels switching off VMS devices or breaching boundaries in the Gulf of Tonkin. It has proposed stronger patrols in waters bordering China and closer coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to monitor and handle violations.
Deputy Director Pham Thi Na of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment affirmed that the city will continue control of unqualified vessels, ensure full monitoring of port entries and exits, and track high-risk boats for enforcement./.
An Giang steps up efforts to combat IUU fishing
By the end of July, more than 10,000 vessels in An Giang had been registered in the national fisheries database, with offshore catch reaching 246,000 tonnes, up 17.3% year-on-year.
