Lam Dong (VNA) – The Border Guard Command of Lam Dong province – formed through the merger of the former Lam Dong, Dak Nong, and coastal Binh Thuan provinces as from July 1 – has freshly launched a peak campaign against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The operation began on August 18 and runs until the fifth inspection visit of the European Commission (EC) to Vietnam, expected in September.
According to the Border Guard Command, the final months coincide with the peak fishing season, which usually brings high income to fishermen, leading to an increase in offshore fishing activities. Meanwhile, complex weather conditions are posing challenges for patrol, inspection, and control operations at sea. Taking advantage of this situation, some vessel owners and captains are likely to commit fishing violations through sophisticated tactics such as using unqualified vessels, disabling vessel monitoring systems (VMS), or illegally fishing in foreign waters.
To ensure effective implementation of the campaign, the command has directed coastal communes, wards, and especially border guard stations along the coastline to intensify legal education and awareness-raising programmes among fishermen, vessel owners, and captains, stressing compliance with regulations as well as penalties imposed by Vietnam and foreign countries. The command also stressed boosting public responsibility in reporting violations and providing information related to IUU fishing activities.
Border guard units have been tasked with preventing unqualified vessels from operating, tightening management in key areas, and promptly detecting and strictly handling violations, particularly cases of illegally sending vessels and fishermen into foreign waters, intentionally disabling VMS devices, or crossing maritime boundaries.
Currently, 100% of fishing vessels 15 metres in length or more operating in the province are equipped with VMS devices. However, instances of lost VMS connection at sea still occur. Between January and July, local coastal border guard stations conducted 563 communication sessions for 31,089 fishermen engaged in offshore fishing, focusing on groups and sectors with higher risks of fishing violations.
The EC issued a “yellow card” warning for Vietnam in this regard in 2017. The "yellow card" is followed by a "green card" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" if it is not. A “red card” may lead to a ban on aquatic exports to the EU./.
