Thanh Hoa (VNA) – The central coastal province of Thanh Hoa has seen no new incidents of fishing vessels losing vessel monitoring system (VMS) signals for over six hours, disconnections at sea for more than 10 days, or breaching authorised fishing boundaries in the past half month, amid intensified efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
At four designated ports licensed to receive offshore fishing vessels and certify the origin of seafood unloading, namely Hoa Loc, Lach Hoi, Lach Bang and Hai Chau, border guards, in coordination with fisheries surveillance units, police and local authorities, have maintained round-the-clock operations to strictly regulate vessels and personnel entering and leaving ports and landing sites.
The province has rolled out a range of mechanisms and policies to steer fisheries towards efficiency and sustainability. These include a plan for rapid and sustainable fisheries development linked with firmly safeguarding national maritime sovereignty through 2030, with a vision to 2045; support for the purchase of VMS equipment and subscription fees for vessels with a length of 15 metres or more; and incentives to encourage offshore fishing.
On December 9, the provincial People’s Council adopted two resolutions: Resolution No. 51/2025/NQ-HDND on assistance for fishermen to upgrade or replace VMS devices, and Resolution No. 49/2025/NQ-HDND detailing procedures, conditions and support levels for addressing risks caused by natural disasters at sea. The resolutions are expected to serve as a reliable backstop, bolstering fishermen’s confidence and encouraging them to remain committed to their trade.
Despite positive outcomes, some challenges persist. The provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment reported that 11 vessels remain at risk of losing VMS connections for more than six hours. The department compiles daily lists of vessels losing VMS signals or exceeding permitted maritime boundaries and forwards them to local authorities and border guard units to work directly with vessel owners, ensuring violations are prevented.
Meanwhile, the monitoring and control of vessels that fail to meet operational requirements, including those with expired fishing licences, have been strengthened. The province has clearly zoned off anchorage areas at fishing ports, tightened checks on vessels with a length of 15 metres or longer when docking, and enhanced inter-agency coordination to deal with breaches related to procedures, equipment or professional documents. Non-compliant vessels are required to remain at designated anchorages, fitted with warning signs and ordered to remove fishing gear to avoid repeat violations.
At sea, inter-agency patrols regularly inspect and strictly penalise violations, particularly deliberate shutdowns of monitoring devices, fishing in unauthorised areas or the use of banned gear. Authorities have also supported fishermen in updating vessel data on VnFishbase and online platforms to ensure transparent management and oversight.
Enforcement has been further intensified, with dedicated patrol and inspection teams deployed at sea and in estuarine areas to promptly detect and handle violations. Since early 2025, 337 cases have been sanctioned, with total fines reaching 5.08 billion VND (around 193,000 USD), and all violations logged in the national database.
At the 27th meeting of the National Steering Committee for Combating IUU fishing, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee Cao Van Cuong instructed departments, sectors and localities to continue implementing coordinated measures to address the European Commission’s “yellow card”. Priorities include stricter management and comprehensive handling of ineligible vessels, verification and settlement of VMS signal loss cases to complete dossiers in line with regulations, and closer supervision of vessels entering and leaving ports, seafood unloading and traceability of harvested products.
Thanks to sustained efforts, Thanh Hoa reports that all registered fishing vessels have had their data uploaded to the national fisheries database VnFishbase and a supplementary Google Sheet system managed by the Sub-Department of Seas and Fisheries. All 1,002 vessels measuring 15 metres or longer are now equipped with VMS, achieving full coverage. Cases of fishing in foreign waters have been fully eliminated, with no new cases of prolonged VMS disconnections or boundary violations recorded./.
Thanh Hoa strengthens measures to curb IUU fishing
The north-central province of Thanh Hoa has stepped up efforts to control and reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, contributing to Vietnam’s nationwide push to lift the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning.
