Quang Ninh (VNA) - The northern coastal province of Quang Ninh is stepping up measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, in line with directives from the Government and the Prime Minister, aiming to address shortcomings and contribute to having the European Commission’s (EC) “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood lifted.
According to the provincial People’s Committee, Quang Ninh has registered 4,116 fishing vessels of six metres or longer on the VNFishbase system, with 99.2% licensed for operations. Over 93% of vessels are within inspection validity, while the remainders are under review. Authorities have also pushed for the renewal of expired certifications, reducing the number of non-compliant vessels from 579 to 85.
Since early 2025, the province has detected and handled over 449 violations, imposing fines exceeding 246,000 USD. These include six cases related to vessel monitoring system (VMS) breaches and one criminal case involving fraudulent use of VMS equipment. Quang Ninh has also strengthened traceability, with more than 2,363 tonnes of seafood checked at landing points.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Cong said the province is launching a comprehensive campaign to finalise licensing and inspection for unlicensed vessels and boats with expired technical checks or lose VMS connections, while implementing round-the-clock VMS monitoring to prevent incursions into foreign waters.
Local agencies have been tasked with boosting traceability at nine designated checkpoints and ensuring 100% of vessels report data when departing or arriving at ports. Strict accountability measures are being applied to departments and individuals, particularly regarding VMS enforcement and vessel certification.
Quang Ninh also proposed the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment mobilise private investment in fisheries logistics infrastructure at storm shelters to meet port certification requirements under the Fisheries Law. It called for integration of vessel management, traceability, and penalty databases to streamline oversight.
The province reaffirmed its commitment to resolute action against IUU fishing, contributing to Vietnam’s national goal of having the EC's “yellow card” warning removed./.