Quang Tri (VNA) – The central province of Quang Tri is stepping up fishing fleet management and enforcement to address shortcomings in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and contribute to efforts to have the European Commission (EC)’s "yellow card" against Vietnamese seafood exports lifted.
Despite progress, dozens of vessels remain ineligible to operate, while risks of violations at sea persist.
Addressing shortcomings
In Dong Trach commune, which has a large fishing fleet, authorities are reviewing vessels and guiding owners through procedures to meet operating requirements. Of more than 500 vessels, some have yet to complete mandatory paperwork, including food safety commitments.
Vo Hai Quan, Chairman of the Dong Trach Commune People’s Committee, said the locality considers IUU fishing prevention a key task requiring decisive action. Alongside inspections, monitoring and strict enforcement, authorities are guiding vessel owners to complete documentation and resolve outstanding issues.
For vessels no longer capable of fishing or unable to meet regulations, the commune will coordinate with relevant agencies to explore occupational conversion support and alternative livelihoods.
Similar problems persist in coastal localities, including Nam Gianh, Ba Don and Cua Viet, particularly regarding expired registration certificates and fishing licences.
According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, Quang Tri has 4,621 fishing vessels measuring at least 6 metres, of which 4,582, or 99.2%, hold fishing licences. However, 80 vessels remain ineligible to operate, while 279 have yet to sign food safety commitments.
Nguyen Huu Vinh, deputy director of the department, said progress in IUU fishing prevention needed to be consolidated, with shortcomings in fleet management, vessel monitoring and violation handling addressed promptly.
The province has reported no cases of its fishing vessels being detained and penalised by foreign authorities for illegal fishing in foreign waters.
At a recent meeting of the National Steering Committee for combating IUU fishing, Quang Tri scored 91.37 points in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s assessment for September 2026, placing it among the better-performing localities. All tasks assigned by the Government for the first nine months of the year were completed on schedule.
Strengthening grassroots enforcement
The province has instructed departments and coastal localities to review the entire fleet and identify ineligible vessels, assigning commune-level authorities primary responsibility for enforcement.
Communes and wards must complete food safety commitments for all vessels under 15 metres under their management and help owners of vessels measuring at least 6 metres install and activate accounts on the electronic Catch Documentation and Traceability System (eCDT).
Authorities are also required to check fishing licences, registration certificates and other documents, remind owners to renew expiring papers, and closely monitor ineligible vessels to prevent them from going to sea illegally.
Fishermen are urged to maintain vessel monitoring systems and ensure uninterrupted connections, particularly during the storm and rainy season. Vessels remaining ashore must also comply with monitoring and documentation requirements.
Meanwhile, the department is processing fishing licences and vessel registrations, standardising fisheries data and considering support for decommission of damaged vessels that are no longer operational and helping fishermen change occupations.
Border guards are strengthening controls at ports and estuaries, inspecting vessels and conducting sea patrols. Police are accelerating investigations into suspected violations, while fishing port authorities are tightening catch-volume controls and traceability procedures.
Vinh stressed that sustained coordination among authorities, enforcement forces and fishing communities was essential to eliminating IUU fishing, protecting marine resources and securing sustainable livelihoods for fishermen./.
VNA
