Ca Mau completes data and controls fleet to lift the IUU 'yellow card'

Synchronously implement many solutions with the determination to lift the "yellow card"

On the morning of October 31, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien and a working delegation had a working session with the Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the province.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien acknowledged Ca Mau province's efforts in tightly controlling its fleet, enhancing violation handling, and advancing the digitalization of fisheries data, contributing to the strict implementation of directives from the Government and the Secretariat.

"Ca Mau has the largest fleet in the country, so the province's results in combating IUU fishing are critically important for Vietnam's overall goal of lifting the 'yellow card.' The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment highly values the local political system's engagement and urges the province to continue thoroughly tracing violating vessels, strengthening administrative discipline, and ensuring that fisheries data remain up-to-date and transparent," Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's direction on accelerating urgent and decisive measures against IUU fishing. "Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has directed all relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to complete licensing for fishing vessels within the coming week. Vessels that do not meet licensing requirements must be strictly prohibited from operating.

At the same time, 100% of fishing vessels must have installed Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), the situation of disconnecting VMS must end, and licensing must be completed for all eligible fishing ports, while support should be provided to help other ports meet licensing standards as soon as possible. Additionally, the national fisheries data and traceability system must be fully completed," the Deputy Minister stated.

Implementing these directives, Ca Mau has synchronously implemented many measures to tightly control its fleet and trace and strictly handle violations in recent times.

Mr. Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, reported that as of October 30, 2025, the entire province had 5,230 fishing vessels in operation, including 1,942 with a maximum length of 15 meters or more, which are required to be equipped with VMS. Notably, 100% of these vessels have completed installation, and 88.3% maintain stable connections. Any signal loss is updated, traced, and addressed under the digitalization process.

Three Type II fishing ports (Song Doc, Rach Goc, and Ganh Hao) and one Type III port (Cai Doi Vam) have been designated for verifying and certifying the origin of harvested seafood. Vessel entry and exit at ports are fully monitored, with data connection  through interconnected software, ensuring accurate verification of departures and arrivals while minimizing errors and fraud.

Communication and dissemination of legal regulations on combating IUU fishing have also been intensified, reaching every fisherman and vessel owner. More than 8,200 news articles and messages, 24 television reportages, 5,000 leaflets, and 10,000 posters have been released. Local broadcasting systems air content related to anti-IUU fishing twice daily. These diverse communication methods have helped raise awareness, helping fishermen better understand their responsibilities and the consequences of violations.

In the first ten months of the year, the province allocated over VND 7.5 billion to support subscription fees for vessel monitoring services for more than 7,000 vessel trips. Additionally, a resolution is being developed to provide new monitoring devices, ensuring 24/7 connectivity, even when vessels are anchored.

Strengthen violation handling to reinforce the EC's confidence

Mr. Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee, reported that the province has detected and handled more than 470 administrative violations in the fisheries sector, with total fines of over VND 10 billion. Among them were 43 cases involving VMS disconnection. All cases have been recorded in the management software to ensure transparent monitoring.

In terms of criminal cases, functional forces have prosecuted 11 cases, mainly related to vessels violating foreign waters, using falsified documents, or organizing illegal brokerage of cross-border entry and exit. Six cases have been brought to trial, while the remaining five are scheduled for trial before November 15, 2025. Strict handling has created a deterrent effect, contributing to reinforcing Vietnam’s image in its efforts to lift the EC's "yellow card."

Seafood traceability has also been effectively implemented. All fishing vessels with a length of 15 meters or more have submitted electronic declarations through the eCDT system when departing or arriving at port. All catch certificates (CC) and statements of catch (SC) are issued in compliance with regulations, without errors requiring clarification. To date, 805 CCs have been issued for a total volume of over 11,400 tons, including more than 7,880 tons exported to the EU market.

According to Mr. Su, despite numerous positive results, the province still faces several challenges, such as unreported vessel transfers and inconsistencies in digital data updates. Some violations in foreign waters have not yet been handled because the fishermen involved have not returned. Additionally, the shortage of specialized personnel following administrative restructuring has created pressure in carrying out assigned tasks.

Nevertheless, with a proactive spirit, Ca Mau is concentrating all efforts during this sprint phase. The province has clearly assigned responsibilities to each official and party member for monitoring and supervising fishing vessels. The list of vessels that fail to meet operational conditions is made public for community oversight, while authorities continue to thoroughly trace and handle violating, disconnected, or illegally transferred vessels.

Toward responsible and sustainable fisheries

Based on the Central Government's directives, Ca Mau has set a dual goal of combating IUU fishing while developing a sustainable fisheries sector. In the coming period, the province will continue implementing projects to transition from professions that negatively affect marine ecosystems to more environmentally friendly ones, promote nearshore and offshore aquaculture, upgrade fisheries infrastructure, and preserve and rationally exploit aquatic resources.

In parallel, communication will be maintained regularly, focusing on vessel owners, captains, and young fishermen. Communication activities will be linked with digital transformation and electronic identification (VNeID) to ensure transparent management and synchronized data on fishing vessels through the VNFishbase system and the national population database.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Van Su affirmed, "Ca Mau identifies combating IUU fishing as a key and long-term political task. The province remains resolute in strictly handling violations while promptly commending collectives and individuals who perform well or propose effective and innovative fisheries management initiatives."

With the drastic engagement of the entire political system and the consensus of fishermen and businesses, Ca Mau is steadily reinforcing the EC's confidence, aiming to soon have the "yellow card" lifted and build the image of a modern, responsible, and sustainable Vietnamese fisheries sector.

* USD 1 = VND 26,077 (Source: Vietcombank)