Lam Dong (VNA) – The Lam Dong provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment has intensified measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, placing strong emphasis on preventing fishing vessels that fail to meet legal requirements from leaving ports for offshore operations.
As of early January 2026, the province had 8,210 registered fishing vessels, with more than 90% holding valid fishing licences, according to the department. A total of 8,115 vessels, or 98.76%, have been updated in the National Population Database, while 1,773 out of 1,941 vessels measuring 15 metres or longer have been granted food safety certificates, accounting for 91.34%. By the end of 2025, authorities had monitored 68,760 vessel departures and arrivals at ports throughout the province.
Functional agencies have also tightened inspections and management of vessels that do not meet licensing requirements. Currently, around 770 vessels in Lam Dong have expired licences or are ineligible for fishing activities at sea.
The department has tasked the Sub-department of Fisheries, Seas and Islands with compiling lists of ineligible vessels and sharing them with local authorities and relevant forces for close supervision, firmly prohibiting such vessels from departing ports. Violations and deliberate non-compliance will be handled strictly in accordance with the law. These efforts aim to heighten fishermen’s awareness of their responsibilities at sea, contributing to national efforts to have the European Commission’s “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood exports lifted at the earliest possible time.
The provincial People’s Committee has also directed fishing ports to strengthen vessel entry and exit management, closely monitor landed catch volumes, and support fishermen in completing arrival and departure declarations through the electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) system, ensuring transparent and verifiable data on the origin of seafood.
Lam Dong has only four recognised standard fishing ports, handling around 60% of the province’s annual marine catch. The provincial administration has called for enhanced inspection and supervision, urging fishermen in coastal areas to concentrate unloading activities at designated fishing ports to increase the proportion of catch monitored through ports and improve control over IUU violations./.
