HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City is intensifying the enforcement of regulations on vessel monitoring system (VMS) installed on fishing vessels, as part of urgent efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc has requested relevant departments, agencies and local authorities to synchronously implement management, inspection, supervision and sanctioning measures related to VMS, with a focus on addressing outstanding shortcomings in legal compliance and fulfilling pressing tasks in fighting IUU fishing in the city.
Accordingly, the municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment has been assigned to take the lead, in coordination with the Department of Justice, Department of Public Security, municipal Border Guard Command, fishing port management board, People’s Committees of coastal wards and communes, Con Dao Special Zone, and other relevant units, in enhancing communication and the dissemination of laws on fisheries exploitation management and IUU fishing prevention.
There will be a strong focus on rules for installing and maintaining the operations of VMS equipment, along with penalties for violations. Communication efforts should be ongoing and presented in various formats, aimed at specific groups, especially vessel owners and fishermen actively involved in offshore fishing.
At the same time, the city leader called for enhanced professional training for officials and law enforcement personnel involved in fisheries management.
Ho Chi Minh City has 4,449 fishing vessels, of them 4,301 equipped with VMS devices, making up 96.67%. Between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025, authorities found 1,729 cases of vessels losing VMS connection for six hours or more, issuing fines in 196 cases totalling nearly 6.6 billion VND (about 252,000 USD). For disconnections over 10 days, 81 cases were reported, with 30 penalised, resulting in fines of more than 1.2 billion VND./.
