Can Tho launches 44-day peak campaign against IUU fishing

On the morning of August 18, the Border Guard Command of Can Tho City organized a launching ceremony for the peak campaign of patrols, inspections, and controls to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The campaign will run for 44 days, from August 18 to September 30, 2025.

Colonel Pham Le Xuan Binh, Commander of the Border Guard Command of Can Tho City, said that during the peak period against IUU fishing, functional forces will implement a series of measures to effectively and regularly disseminate the State's guidelines, policies, and laws on sustainable fisheries development to officers, soldiers, and local communities.

In addition, the functional sector will step up the management of fishermen and reinforce teams to inspect and control 100% of fishing vessels before departure and entrance at border guard checkpoints as well as during operations at sea. Authorities will ensure that 100% of fishing vessels going offshore are fully equipped with valid documents and technical safety equipment as required and will resolutely deny departure for any vessel failing to meet these requirements.

Functional forces are determined to end the operation of fishing vessels without vessel monitoring systems (VMS), those with disconnected VMS devices, and vessels operating without fishing licenses or with expired registrations.

As part of the campaign, the Border Guard Command of Can Tho City will also advise local governments and functional sectors to complete the installation of VMS equipment on 100% of fishing vessels with a length of 15 meters or more. Meanwhile, vessels with a length of six meters or more must be documented and placed under management and monitoring, especially those categorized as high risk of violating foreign waters.

Ms. Quach Thi Thanh Binh, Deputy Director of the Can Tho City Department of Agriculture and Environment, assessed that the peak campaign against IUU fishing is both a command to action and the city’s determination to join the nation’s efforts to lift the European Commission (EC)'s "yellow card."

In recent years, Can Tho City has drastically implemented many measures to combat IUU fishing and achieved notable results, such as ensuring that only fully qualified vessels are granted operation licenses, 100% of fishing vessels are equipped with and maintain VMS equipment, and no cases of vessels violating foreign waters have been recorded.

However, according to the agriculture and environment sector, the risk of recurring violations still exists. Some vessel owners have yet to comply strictly with reporting requirements and fail to keep complete fishing logbooks. While patrols and violation handling have been strengthened, further tightening of these measures remains necessary.

With the motto "decisive action - strict control - synchronous coordination - enthusiastic emulation," the Can Tho City Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing wishes to mobilize the combined strength of the political system and armed forces. This effort aims to implement key goals: ensuring that no fishing vessels from Can Tho violate foreign waters from now until the end of 2025; 100% of vessels departing and entering ports comply with regulations, carry full documentation, meet all conditions, and maintain complete fishing logbooks; persuading 100% of vessel owners and captains to sign commitments to "say no to IUU fishing"; and linking emulation movements with timely commendations to replicate exemplary practices.

On this occasion, units under the Border Guard Command of Can Tho City signed an emulation covenant affirming their determination to combat IUU fishing. The program also presented 30 national flags, 30 portraits of President Ho Chi Minh, and 30 Border Guard medicine cabinets, while distributing leaflets on IUU prevention to local fishermen.

Following the launching ceremony, functional forces boarded vessels to conduct patrols, inspections, and monitoring in Can Tho City's maritime border areas.

In recent times, the Border Guard Command of Can Tho City has conducted 45 independent patrols at sea, inspecting and monitoring more than 3,500 vessel trips with over 19,000 crew members entering and leaving ports (including 1,043 vessels and 6,731 crew members from outside the city).

Since the beginning of 2025, Trung Binh Border Guard Station, in coordination with the Inspectorate of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City, the IUU Inspection Team, and the Tran De Fishing Port Management Board, has handled three administrative violation cases involving three offenders, with a total fine of VND 53.5 million.

The violations mainly included failure to comply with regulations on cruise monitoring equipment; vessels failing to transmit information and data to the monitoring center while operating; and unauthorized removal of VMS devices when vessels were inactive, in violation of supervision requirements.

* USD 1 = VND 26.080 (Source: Vietcombank)