Quang Ngai (VNA) – Vice Chairman of the Quang Ngai People's Committee Do Tam Hien on May 25 inspected local efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in several coastal localities across the province.
At working sessions with local authorities, Hien called for tougher and more decisive measures against IUU fishing, stressing the need for clearly assigned responsibilities for individuals and agencies. Localities where violations or shortcomings occur would be held accountable before provincial authorities and competent agencies, he said.
He also ordered regular inspections and performance reviews of fishing ports across the province, warning that poorly managed or underperforming ports could be transferred to local authorities for unified oversight and full responsibility.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment was instructed to work with localities to implement plans to dismantle fishing vessels, particularly high-risk boats and vessels failing to meet operational requirements but still remaining docked or inactive. The department was also tasked with reviewing fishing ports and fisheries infrastructure to ensure more integrated and synchronised management.
Regarding the dredging project at My A fishing port, Hien stressed the need for efficient use of resources through reserve assessments, technical planning, auction mechanisms and the selection of qualified contractors.
Fishing port management boards were directed to tighten seafood traceability control of swordfish and yellowfin tuna catching, while strengthening post-harvest quality management to comply with anti-IUU fishing requirements.
The vice chairman also urged enforcement agencies to speed up the handling of seized fishing vessels linked to bank loans or court rulings to support anti-IUU fishing efforts. Border guard forces and local authorities, he said, must be informed in writing during enforcement procedures to closely monitor vessel transfers and ownership changes, preventing cases in which vessel owners or operating locations become untraceable after sale.
The State Bank of Vietnam's Quang Ngai branch was assigned to direct commercial banks to urgently handle financed fishing vessels currently docked outside the province or with unclear operating locations, while promptly reporting cases to provincial authorities and the Department of Agriculture and Environment.
Hien also called for faster digital transformation in the fisheries sector, including vessel registration, offshore monitoring and seafood traceability, to improve management efficiency and curb IUU fishing violations.
According to the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Quang Ngai had 4,960 registered fishing vessels as of May 22, all of which had been updated to the VNFishbase database. All 4,793 active vessels had valid fishing licences, while 67 boats, accounting for 1.38% of registered vessels, were ineligible for licence issuance or renewal.
The province currently has 67 high-risk fishing vessels linked to potential IUU fishing violations, including 40 vessels docked outside the province and 27 within Quang Ngai.
Authorities said vessel management has generally met requirements, with local Party members assigned to monitor anchorage locations and coordinate with enforcement forces to prevent unqualified vessels from operating at sea and strictly handle violations. However, some localities have yet to fully establish steering committees for IUU fishing prevention and combat, support teams or action plans for implementing anti-IUU fishing measures./.
