Lam Dong (VNA) – Lam Dong province has launched an intensified campaign to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, mobilising the entire political system to address outstanding shortcomings ahead of an upcoming higher-level inspection mission.
The provincial People’s Committee has directed agencies and localities to carry out a comprehensive review of documentation and data, while strictly handling violations during the peak enforcement period.
Heads of departments and coastal localities are required to take direct responsibility for the work, ensuring that efforts are not superficial or symbolic. All records and datasets prepared for inspection must be accurate, transparent, and fully verifiable.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment has been tasked with consolidating reports on anti-IUU fishing implementation from early 2026 to the time of inspection, as well as clarifying progress in addressing shortcomings identified during the 2024–2025 period previously reported to the European Commission (EC).
The local agriculture sector has been requested to strengthen vessel registration and licensing, improve management of the vessel monitoring system (VMS), and tighten control over port entry and exit, catch volumes, and seafood traceability.
To strengthen control over fishing vessels, the provincial Military Command, the Border Guard Command, and relevant authorities are conducting a high-intensity inspection campaign through June 30 at fishing ports, anchorage areas, estuaries, and fishing vessel gathering points.
Authorities are strictly dealing with vessels that fail to meet operating conditions, including those violating marking regulations, registration requirements, or failing to dock at designated ports as required.
The provincial police are instructed to intensify monitoring to detect and strictly handle illegal brokerage and collusion involving fishing vessels operating in foreign waters, as well as fraud in seafood traceability documents.
Coastal localities must review all fishing vessels, tightly manage high-risk or non-compliant boats, and prevent them from departing if requirements are not met.
Seafood processors and exporters are required to ensure transparent and accurate documentation of raw materials and are strictly prohibited from falsifying origin or production data to evade inspections.
Lam Dong has a 192-kilometre coastline and a fleet of about 8,300 fishing vessels, including nearly 1,900 vessels with over 15 metres in length. The fleet is mainly based in Phan Thiet, La Gi, Phan Ri Cua, and Phu Quy Special Zone. With such a large fishing capacity, the province is implementing coordinated measures to prevent and ultimately eliminate illegal fishing activities, contributing to the country’s efforts to have the EC’s “yellow card” warning against seafood lifted.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Lam Dong has continuously rolled out peak anti-IUU fishing campaigns since early 2026. Vessels without valid licences, those losing VMS connectivity, or failing to record fishing logs are subject to strict port-side control, with the goal of eliminating the so-called “three no’s” (no registration, no examination, no licences) vessels.
The locality is also accelerating digitalisation in its fisheries sector by managing vessel data on an electronic platform, mandating VMS installation, and implementing the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT).
As of late May, 100% of vessels have been updated in the national fisheries database (VNFishbase). Fleet management and monitoring of fishing activities continue to be strengthened to prevent violations in foreign waters./.
