Nghe An strictly rectifies IUU fishing violations

Maximum focus on IUU fishing prevention

Leaders of the Nghe An Sub-Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance have issued directives to specialized units to operate during the peak month for IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing prevention, continuing to rectify illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities. The ultimate goal was to make effective contributions to removing the EC’s “Yellow Card” warning in preparation to welcome the fifth inspection delegation from the European Commission (EC) to Vietnam.

The inspection team, led by the Nghe An Sub-Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, coordinated with related units, including the provincial Border Guard Command, the provincial Police, and the People’s Committees of coastal communes/wards, to conduct intensive patrols, inspections, and control operations against IUU fishing in this province's waters.

The patrols focused on key areas, including Dien Chau bay, Cua Lo beach, the Ngu island - Mat island marine reserve, inshore fishing zones, and border sea areas between Nghe An and its neighboring provinces of Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh.

The purpose of these patrols during the peak period was to promptly prevent and strictly handle violations in the fisheries sector, particularly illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; violations in vessel identification markings; and cases of unqualified or high-risk fishing vessels still operating at sea.

After the patrol process, the team detected and issued administrative violation records for six vessels, with fines totaling VND 16.5 million. Among these cases, two vessels failed to record fishing logs (for boats 12 - 15 meters long), one vessel had incomplete fishing logs (for boats 15 - 24 meters long), and three vessels had registration numbers written incorrectly as per regulations.

Assigning direct management responsibility to local authorities

In addition to handling violations, during the patrols, the teams also informed fishing boat owners at sea about storm and tropical depression movements, reminding them to equip proper safety gear and take proactive measures during adverse weather conditions.

The patrol teams also disseminated relevant legal regulations, promoted the protection of marine species such as sea turtles and marine mammals, distributed awareness leaflets, and presented national flags to fishing boat owners at sea.

According to Decision No. 260/QD-CCTSKN-KN dated September 19, 2025, these are the first inter-agency patrols welcoming the participation of representatives from commune and ward-level People’s Committees after local governments at both levels officially began operations. Assigning direct management responsibility to grassroots authorities is a new approach to improve the effectiveness of prevention and enforcement work.

The latest statistics show that Nghe An has 2,643 fishing vessels required to register for identification, reaching a 100% registration rate. All data is also fully updated to the Vnfishbase national database system. Among the vessels subject to inspection, 1,370 out of 1,419 are still within their inspection validity period (96.5%), while 49 vessels (3.5%) have expired certificates.

As for fishing licenses, 2,591 out of 2,643 vessels hold valid licenses (98.03%), while 52 vessels (1.97%) have yet to be licensed. Regarding installing vessel monitoring systems (VMS), 1,036 out of 1,041 vessels have been equipped with appropriate devices (99.52%), with five vessels remaining. Four are docked ashore and not fishing, and one is reported missing.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the city's Sub-Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance has recorded 151 cases of fishing violations, with a total fine of VND 5.7 billion since 2024. Most violations are related to the voyage monitoring device (VMS), with 130 cases in total. This is a common violation when fishermen intentionally turn off, remove, or do not install the device to hide the act of crossing the fishing boundary.

"The city's view is to handle violations strictly, leaving no area unchecked. We will also publicize the list of violations on the mass media, considering this an effective deterrent measure," said Nguyen Bi, Head of Fisheries Division, Ho Chi Minh City Sub-Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance.

Strict punishment is not only a deterrent but also a way to protect the long-term livelihood of fishermen. If violations continue, the risk of losing more export markets is very high, directly affecting the lives of tens of thousands of seafarers. Preventing IUU fishing is not only an international requirement but also a responsibility in building a modern, responsible, and sustainable fishery industry.