Ministry of National Defense inspects anti-IUU fishing efforts in Ba Ria - Vung Tau

The delegation from the Ministry of National Defense was led by Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Binh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army and Head of the Ministry of National Defense’s Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. The Lieutenant General was accompanied by Major General Tran Ngoc Huu, Deputy Commander of the Border Guard.

The delegation conducted an inspection at Ben Da Border Control Station under the jurisdiction of Ben Da Border Guard Station, focusing on the management and use of the "Fisheries Management and Communication Software for Vessel Owners." Accordingly, the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Border Guard Command is responsible for overseeing its implementation. The software acts as a management tool for updating, storing, and controlling fishing vessel data, including daily exit and entry registration procedures.

Ben Da Border Guard Station recently registered 715 (out of a total of 799) local fishing vessels on the software, resulting in an 89.5% registration rate. The station was unable to register the remaining 84 vessels as their owners failed to provide the required details on personnel and equipment. Records show that 25 cases of administrative violations, totaling over 557 million VND in fines, have also been updated on the system.

Ben Da Border Guard Station has identified, processed, and issued fines for 4 violations, totaling over 47 million VND in fines, since the beginning of 2024. The station has also conducted initial investigations in a case where two fishing vessels removed their vessel monitoring systems and placed them on two other vessels. Subsequently, the station has transferred the case files to the police as directed by the Provincial Border Guard Command.

Additionally, the station has received criminal intelligence and coordinated with the Border Guard’s Department for Drug and Crime Prevention to investigate and verify these reports. This collaboration resulted in the prosecution of a fishing vessel from Binh Dinh Province. Accordingly, the suspect facilitated illegal exits for unauthorized fishing activities.

Moving forward, Ben Da Border Guard Station will promptly address the issues identified by the inspection delegation. The station will enhance patrols and strictly enforce exit regulations. Moreover, it will refrain from granting departure clearance to fishing vessels that lack the required documentation.

On the other hand, the station will review, verify, and consolidate case files related to fishing vessels that disconnect their vessel monitoring systems; address and deter intentional violations; raise awareness regarding anti-IUU fishing activities, with a goal of promoting compliance among fishermen; and supporting the collective effort to lift the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning.