Dong Thap province aims to completely address cases involving unregistered, uninspected or unlicensed fishing vessels and prevent vessels from leaving port unless they fully meet all requirements by October 15.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, acting as the standing agency of Dong Thap's IUU Steering Committee, has been tasked with reviewing and updating the province's action plan to address recommendations raised during the EC's fifth inspection mission on Vietnam's anti-IUU efforts.
During the first half of 2026, no fishing vessels from Dong Thap were caught operating illegally in foreign waters, and inspections found no problems with the documentation for seafood exports to the European market, authorities reported.
The suspects were also accused of receiving funds from Viet Tan to carry out activities inside the country under the organisation’s direction.
The southern province has ensured 100% of fishing vessels are registered, licensed, and equipped with vessel monitoring systems (VMS). Authorities have strengthened inspections, particularly targeting vessels that lose tracking signals or fail to meet operational conditions.
Preliminary investigations showed that the majority showed signs of illegal border crossings or unauthorised employment in Cambodia. Cambodian authorities had detained them before handing them over to Vietnamese border guards.
In recent years, the Dong Thap provincial People’s Committee has directed relevant departments, agencies and localities with fishing fleets to strengthen management and strictly monitor fishing vessel operations at sea as part of efforts to prevent and combat IUU fishing.
Working with the border guard and police, the Department of Agriculture and Environment will pull together all available resources to investigate, verify, and thoroughly deal with cases where vessels lose VMS (vessel monitoring system) connection, cross fishing boundaries, or enter foreign waters illegally.
Fishermen in Gia Thuan coastal commune, the Mekong Delta of Dong Thap, have been determined to join the nationwide effort to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and help remove the European Commission’s “yellow card” by uniting to ensure compliance with regulations on sustainable and lawful fishing operations.
Dong Thap currently has 1,505 fishing vessels with 9,838 crew members, of which 60% are high-capacity vessels capable of operating in distant fishing grounds such as Con Dao, Truong Sa, and DK1.
Dong Thap has enforced a strict ban on vessels leaving ports without active VMS connection to ensure transparency and traceability.
Since 2024, there have been no recorded cases of IUU fishing in Dong Thap province, thanks in large part to extensive awareness campaigns among fishermen.
The mock trial focused on the offence of violating regulations on the protection of endangered, precious, and rare wildlife under Article 244 of the Penal Code.
The Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee requested heads of relevant agencies and local authorities to maintain strict, determined, and comprehensive action to curb IUU violations, mobilising maximum time and resources to implement priority and urgent tasks.
The province tracks all offshore fishing vessels, with particular scrutiny on high-risk units, and routinely addresses boundary breaches.
The southern provinces of Dong Thap and Tay Ninh on July 25 held memorial and burial ceremonies for volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia and Dong Thap province during the war.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh underscored that under no circumstances, should the restructuring of administrative apparatus affect the material or spiritual well-being of residents.
Since 2023, Dong Thap province has reported no cases of fishing vessels infringing foreign waters.
In 2025, Dong Thap aims to raise 100 billion VND (3.9 million USD) for the "For the poor" fund to support building houses.
For Tran Thi Kim Thia (also known as Sau Thia), who was honoured in 2017 by the BBC for coaching over 2,000 kids in swimming for 15 years, teaching the skills is not just a job, but a noble mission.
Authorities of southern Dong Thap province and Cambodia's Prey Veng province jointly organised a ceremony to inaugurate the Thuong Phuoc – Kaoh Roka international land and waterway border gate pair on January 17.
Sa Dec city in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on January 14 kicked off its 2025 Spring Flower Festival, hoped to become a magnet for visitors from far and wide as the Lunar New Year (Tet) is coming.
