Combating IUU fishing: No more policy-practice gap

On October 3, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) Fishing, led a working delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to inspect anti-IUU fishing efforts in Quang Tri Province.

According to the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee, the entire political system has taken strong action to implement measures against IUU fishing.

Following the provincial merger, Quang Tri now has nearly 4,700 fishing vessels with a length of 6 meters or more. Of these, 100% have been legally registered, about 91% inspected, nearly 98% licensed for fishing, and almost all have been properly marked and recorded in the national VnFishbase database. Over 91% of the vessels have obtained food safety certificates. From January 2024 to early October 2025, the province penalized 179 fishing vessels for IUU violations, with total fines exceeding VND 5.4 billion.

However, challenges remain. Some fishing vessels from Quang Tri still lose connection at sea or cross fishing boundaries. Many smaller vessels under 6 meters, mainly operating in nearshore areas, are not yet monitored for catch output. Fishermen have not fully adopted electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) for port entry and exit declarations. Meanwhile, patrol, monitoring, and enforcement activities by the fisheries surveillance force continue to face significant difficulties.

These issues include the lack of decisive action by certain agencies and localities in combating IUU fishing, technical failures of the Thuraya T3 satellite system, and the absence of built-in warning functions in some vessel monitoring devices when malfunctioning or disconnected. Additionally, Quang Tri’s fishing port infrastructure remains inadequate to accommodate fishing vessels' docking needs.

Sedimentation at river mouths has also led to shallow channels, preventing fishing boats from entering ports for trading. As a result, fishermen are forced to sell their catches offshore, making it difficult to monitor output. The province’s fisheries surveillance vessel, with a small engine capacity of 385 CV and over 25 years of use, can no longer effectively perform patrols and enforcement against IUU fishing violations.

In response, Quang Tri has proposed that the central government support the province with two new, larger-capacity fisheries surveillance vessels capable of conducting effective patrol, inspection, and IUU control operations at sea.

The province has also requested that monitoring device providers enhance and complete the direct alert function for system failures or disconnections, enabling captains to promptly detect and fix problems, report their location to authorities, and improve voyage monitoring, thereby reducing cases of intentional disabling or unawareness of equipment breakdowns.

During a working session with the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien commended the province’s efforts in combating IUU fishing. He emphasized that fisheries infrastructure and logistics are critically important. Therefore, Quang Tri must accelerate fund disbursement for upgrading its fisheries infrastructure and logistics systems, strictly handle violations, and maintain accurate oversight of vessel numbers and operations to strengthen management. Agencies responsible for port entry-exit control and fishing supervision at sea must perform their duties with the highest level of responsibility and commitment.

"There are six forces responsible for monitoring port entry-exit and fishing activities at sea. Any shortage of personnel must be promptly reported. Administrative enforcement reflects the effectiveness of implementation, so strict action is essential. Regulations must be fully observed to have the yellow card lifted. There can be no gap between policy and practice," emphasized Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien.

Accelerate progress on the Bac Son Gianh fishing vessel shelter project

On the morning of October 3, during an inspection of the Bac Son Gianh Fishing Vessel Shelter Project, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized that the facility plays a crucial role in supporting fishing operations and cargo handling for local fishermen. Therefore, he urged the investor and contractors to expedite construction to ensure timely disbursement of allocated funds within 2025.