HCMC to prevent fishermen from violating IUU fishing by all means

Approximately 82% of fishing vessels eligible for operation, significant reduction in connection loss

Implementing directives from the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with Border Guard, Police, Fisheries Surveillance, and local governments, has intensified monitoring of fishing activities. The goal is to prevent the city's fishing vessels from violating foreign waters, thereby contributing to the national effort to remove the European Commission (EC)'s "yellow card" in 2025.

According to Mr. Dang Van Luong, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department, as of October 17, 2025, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has managed a total of 4,857 fishing vessels. Of these, 3,970 vessels are eligible for operation (accounting for 81.74%), while the remaining 887 vessels are under verification, completing procedures, or lying on the shore due to damage or deterioration. Notably, 53 vessels have been deregistered due to scrapping or sinking, ensuring the fleet’s records are transparently updated.

"Specialized units have also issued 59 fishing licenses, 90 technical safety certificates, and 19 food safety certificates to fishermen. This is an important step in standardizing operating conditions and supporting electronic traceability," Mr. Luong said.

At sea, vessel monitoring (VMS) is maintained around the clock. Thanks to enhanced inspections, alert messages, and mandatory position reports every six hours, the situation of connection loss has significantly decreased.

Since the beginning of the year, HCMC has recorded 756 vessels losing connection for over 6 hours to under 10 days. Of these, 736 vessels were determined to have no violations (due to technical issues or scheduled reports); 10 vessels were administratively fined, totaling VND 257.5 million, and 10 vessels are still under verification. Notably, for many consecutive weeks there were no vessels losing connection for more than 10 days, and only 22 vessels have fallen into this category since the beginning of the year, all of which have been handled.

No violations in foreign waters, transparent electronic traceability

One of HCMC's outstanding achievements in combating IUU fishing is that no fishing vessels or crew members have been detained by foreign authorities since the beginning of 2025. According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, this marks the second consecutive year the city has had no violations in foreign waters, which is a rare result in the Southern region.

In parallel, the HCMC Police have completed investigations into eight criminal cases related to IUU fishing, six of which have been prosecuted, while two are pending indictment. These are the case of vessel BV 93481-TS, captained by Cao Van Luyen, which brought nine crew members into Indonesian waters and was detained in 2024, and the case of Nguyen Van Minh, who operated vessel BD 93150-TS from Binh Dinh for illegal fishing. Both cases have been investigated, concluded, and transferred to the Procuracy.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Na, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment and Standing Deputy Head of the HCMC Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing, the drastic handling of these cases demonstrates the city's determination to deter and strictly punish organized illegal fishing activities in foreign waters. It is also evidence for the EC to recognize Vietnam's efforts in combating IUU fishing.

At the administrative level, enforcement agencies have sanctioned 142 fisheries-related violations, totaling VND 2.537 billion, with 100% of penalties fully executed. The main violations included failure to maintain vessel monitoring connections, lack of fishing licenses, and failure to report catches.

Regarding traceability, HCMC is leading the nation, as all nine fishing ports in the city have implemented the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT) for 100% of vessels entering and leaving port, ensuring transparent monitoring and verification of catches.

Since the beginning of the year, the ports have issued 128 catch certificates (SC) for 2,151 tons of seafood, while the Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department has issued 507 certificates of origin (CO) for 4,917 tons. "We remain steadfast in our goal of transparent fleet management, comprehensive traceability, and strict violation handling," stressed Ms. Pham Thi Na.

Efforts toward lifting the "yellow card"

Demonstrating strong determination in combating IUU fishing, the HCMC People’s Committee has recently directed relevant agencies to focus on resolving issues in fishing vessel management. According to city leaders, this must be regular and long-term work, preventing fishing vessels from violating foreign waters at any rate. This also represents the nation's reputation on the international stage. Mr. Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Standing Head of the Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing, emphasized, "By all means, we must prevent fishermen from violating IUU fishing."

Mr. Thanh outlined key solutions, such as strengthening communication and awareness campaigns among vessel owners and captains and ensuring the conditions for fishermen to operate in full compliance with IUU regulations. The city needs to clearly define accountability for each leader and specific deadlines for task completion. "If these measures are implemented drastically, HCMC’s anti-IUU fishing efforts will become more effective and comprehensive," the Vice Chairman expressed his expectation.

HCMC maintains a firm stance that no vessel lacking the required conditions shall be permitted to set sail. At the same time, localities need to mobilize the people to actively monitor vessels under surveillance, ensuring that none depart without authorization. For vessels facing licensing obstacles, the Vice Chairman requested specialized forces to standardize procedures and enable fishermen to resume offshore operations in compliance with regulations. "Combating IUU fishing is not only an administrative duty but also a national commitment to the international community," Mr. Thanh said.

The Vice Chairman also directed relevant departments and sectors to maintain 24/7 monitoring, regularly cross-check vessel disconnection data with the Border Guard and neighboring provinces, and thoroughly handle cases involving vessels no longer operating but not yet deregistered.

HCMC's "Morning Coffee with Fishermen" and "Breakfast with Fishermen" models have proven highly effective in recent times. Mr. Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee, has called for these models to be expanded to all coastal wards and communes in HCMC to better understand the thoughts of vessel owners and fishermen.

* USD 1 = VND 26,075 (Source: Vietcombank)