Fishing vessels violating regulations will be sealed and banned from setting sail

Resolving vessels that are not eligible for operation

Dao Quang Minh, Director of Dak Lak Sub-department of Fisheries and Islands, said that in recent times, to contribute to lifting the "yellow card" issued by the European Commission (EC), the entire political system of Dak Lak Province has taken decisive action against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU).

As of September 30, Dak Lak still had 1,097 out of 3,009 fishing vessels that were not eligible for fishing activities, mainly because their fishing licenses had expired or had not been issued, accounting for 36.46%.

However, after more than one month of implementing the peak campaign against IUU fishing (from early October to November 12, 2025), the situation has improved significantly: only 17 out of 2,553 fishing vessels in the province remain ineligible for operation.

All 17 vessels have been listed and assigned to local authorities for monitoring and management to prevent them from participating in fishing activities, reaching a compliance rate of 99.33%. Notably, 100% of fishing vessels 15 meters or longer (688 out of 688 vessels) have installed vessel monitoring systems (VMS) in accordance with regulations.

Regarding violations, from the beginning of the year to September 30, the province handled 35 violation cases with total fines exceeding VND 853 million, including 17 cases related to VMS violations with total fines of VND 425 million. However, since September 30, the province has reported no new violations, particularly concerning VMS disconnection at sea.

Enhancing leadership responsibility

Despite the progress, six localities, including Xuan Dai, Xuan Canh, Hoa Hiep, Xuan Tho, Phu Yen, and Tuy An Nam, have not yet completed reissuing fishing licenses.

Following the conclusions of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the 21st meeting of the National Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing on November 11, the Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee requested the chairpersons of the six communes and wards to continue enhancing their leadership responsibilities and provide firm direction to guide and support fishermen in completing registration, inspection, and licensing procedures, aiming for 100% licensing of eligible vessels before November 17.

For localities still having vessels that are not eligible for operation, the province requires an urgent and accurate listing of all vessels, arrangement of concentrated anchorage locations, and sealing of 100% of ineligible vessels. Absolutely no fishing gear or equipment is allowed to remain on board to prevent unauthorized departures. Local authorities must prepare records and require vessel owners to sign commitments not to engage in fishing activities and not to keep gear on board, and they must oversee and strictly monitor the vessels in accordance with regulations.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment is tasked with directing the provincial Sub-department of Fisheries and Islands to update data on vessel status and ineligible vessels promptly, and to support and accelerate the licensing and inspection process for submitted applications.

According to Minh, the Sub-department is also coordinating with relevant forces, including border guards and provincial police to strengthen patrolling and enforcement in provincial waters to detect IUU violations. It is closely monitoring vessels through the national vessel monitoring system to issue timely warnings when vessels show signs of potential violations.

The Provincial People's Committee has assigned the Border Guard to control all fishing vessels entering and exiting border posts strictly, and to thoroughly handle "three no" vessels (no registration, no inspection, no fishing license), firmly preventing them from operating.

The provincial police continue to direct commune-level police to coordinate with local authorities to manage vessels that are not eligible for fishing activities strictly, closely monitor local areas, and promptly detect and handle any signs of violations.

Ha Vien, Director of Dak Lak Fishing Port Authority, said that thanks to strengthened communication efforts, most fishermen in the province comply with legal regulations when engaging in fishing activities at sea. From the beginning of 2025 until now, the authority has monitored and controlled 16,655 vessel arrivals and departures, supervised 13,347 tons of seafood unloaded at the port, and verified and issued 127 statements of catch (SC) certification  documents with a volume of 1,763 tons. The port has also strongly implemented the eCDT seafood traceability software and encouraged fishermen to adopt electronic logbooks for fishing, purchasing, and transshipment activities.

*Currency exchange: USD 1 = VND 26.376 - Source: Vietcombank, November 17, 2025.