HCM City (VNA) – Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have intensified inspections and law enforcement to prevent fishing vessels that fail to meet regulatory requirements from operating at sea, as part of strengthened efforts to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Recently, leaders of the municipal People’s Committee carried out on-site inspections of IUU prevention and control at several fishing ports, including Incomap (Vung Tau ward), Cat Lo (Phuoc Thang ward), Hung Thai and Tan Phuoc (Long Hai commune).
During the inspections, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Hoang Nguyen Dinh and the working delegation reviewed vessel arrivals, seafood unloading activities and traceability declarations, while also examining the operation of IUU offices to assess controls over vessels entering and leaving ports as well as communication and reminders provided to fishermen.
Dinh noted that fishing ports have strictly enforced inspection and control measures and recorded positive progress. He urged port authorities to rigorously implement vessel declaration requirements and ensure the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT) is applied to 100% of vessels entering and leaving ports. Catch volumes must be closely monitored to support traceability and the issuance of certificates of raw material origin (SC) and certificates of catch origin (CC) in line with regulations.
In Long Hai ward, he instructed local authorities to tighten management of 160 fishing vessels currently moored ashore that are not eligible for offshore operations, and to mobilise residents and community groups to assist in monitoring and supervision. Such measures help prevent potential IUU violations, Dinh elaborated.
HCM City currently has 4,475 fishing vessels, all of which have been registered and updated on the VNFishbase system. Among them, 4,268 vessels, or 95.37%, have been granted fishing licences, while 207 unqualified vessels are being strictly managed and kept ashore. All vessels measuring 15 metres or longer have been fitted with vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and are monitored around the clock. The eCDT system is operational at 100% of eligible fishing ports, providing the basis for issuing SC and CC certificates for seafood products./.
