Ho Chi Minh speeds up EC compliance, tightens grip on fishing fleet

On April 29, Mr. Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, chaired a meeting with relevant departments and agencies on the situation and tasks related to combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Reporting at the meeting, Ms. Pham Thi Na, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Environment, said that by the end of April, the city had a total of 4,445 fishing vessels. All vessels have been registered and updated in the national Vnfishbase database system, contributing to greater transparency and more effective management.

There are currently 398 vessels that do not meet operational requirements, mainly due to expired inspections, failure to install Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) devices, or non-compliance with food safety standards. These vessels have all been listed and are closely monitored via GPS to prevent illegal departures.

“Monitoring efforts have been strengthened through a 24/7 VMS system, combined with the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT) at fishing ports and border guard stations. As a result, since the beginning of 2026, Ho Chi Minh City has recorded no cases of fishing vessels violating foreign waters and being detained,” Ms. Na said.

Regarding traceability, from January 1, 2024 to date, the city has issued 317 Statements of Catch (SC) covering more than 5,166 tonnes of seafood, 1,380 Catch Certificates (CC) for over 13,580 tonnes, and 1,243 receipts totaling nearly 5,872 tonnes.

Ho Chi Minh City is also implementing a roadmap for the adoption of electronic fishing logbooks for 2,826 vessels. Under the plan, the system will apply from July 1, 2026 for vessels measuring 24 meters or more, from September 1, 2026 for vessels between 15 and 24 meters, and from January 1, 2027 for vessels between 12 and 15 meters.

However, challenges remain. Some vessels have been deregistered but still exist in practice due to ownership transfers without proper re-registration or the inability to identify new owners. In addition, several vessels previously deregistered after being reported missing are now subject to requests for reinstatement by fishers, requiring careful review.

The implementation of the eCDT system has faced difficulties in Can Gio, Thanh An, and An Thoi Dong due to the absence of designated fishing ports. As a result, fishing vessels are unable to complete port entry and exit procedures on the system. Border guard posts and stations in these areas have also not yet been provided with eCDT accounts, meaning that monitoring is still largely conducted through separate systems. Notably, 147 vessels have lost VMS connectivity and have not yet been fully addressed; among them, 35 vessels are operating or moored in other provinces, posing challenges for inter-provincial coordination.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Na, in the coming period, the city will step up communication efforts to raise awareness among fishers and businesses about sustainable fishing practices, while scaling up effective models in combating IUU fishing.

Ho Chi Minh City also plans to introduce support policies such as livelihood transition, decommissioning vessels that are no longer needed, and providing assistance for VMS installation and the costs associated with electronic logbooks. These are considered fundamental solutions to reduce fishing pressure and improve management efficiency.

Concluding the meeting, Mr. Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, emphasized that despite many positive results, shortcomings remain in combating IUU fishing, requiring more decisive and coordinated actions from all relevant agencies.

He called on departments and sectors to focus on fully addressing the recommendations of the EC following its fifth inspection, with the goal of removing the “yellow card” as soon as possible.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment was assigned a core role in urgently finalizing policies to support sustainable fisheries development, with a target for completion in the second quarter of 2026.

“The city will also review and thoroughly handle vessels that have been deregistered but still exist in practice, while considering the reinstatement of those that meet the required conditions. At the same time, management will be tightened to prevent non-compliant vessels from operating.

In addition, Ho Chi Minh City will accelerate the rollout of the eCDT system, explore the establishment of a fishing port in Can Gio, and propose granting eCDT accounts to border guard stations to improve control over vessel movements in and out of ports,” he directed.

Inter-provincial coordination will also be strengthened, particularly with localities such as Lam Dong, Da Nang, Quang Tri, and Ninh Binh, to closely manage vessels operating outside their home areas and strictly handle violations, especially those related to VMS devices. At the same time, vessels that lose connectivity will continue to be verified and dealt with promptly upon returning to shore.