Three fishing vessels fined nearly VND 1.1 billion for fisheries violations

On the morning of October 4, Lieutenant Colonel Lam Dinh Hieu, Head of the Sa Ky Port Border Guard Station under the Quang Ngai Border Guard Command, said his unit had issued administrative penalty decisions against three fishing boat captains for various offenses in fisheries exploitation. According to the decisions, the total fine imposed on the three captains amounted to nearly VND 1.1 billion, along with the nine-month suspension of their fishing captain certificates.

The Sa Ky Port Border Guard discovered that fishing boat QNg 91369TS, owned and captained by Vo Cao Trung (born 1984, resident of Co Luy village, Tinh Khe commune), had committed multiple violations during a patrol in the Sa Ky estuary area (Tinh Khe commune, Quang Ngai province) at approximately 9 a.m. on August 31, 2025. These comprised its lack of a vessel monitoring system (VMS), the running of the vessel with expired fishing licenses and safety certificates, the failure of a crew list, insurance for crew members, adequate safety personnel, and food safety certification for the vessel.

Furthermore, Trung's vessel was discovered to have failed to complete the necessary departure procedures at the Sa Ky Border Guard checkpoint before departing for sea operations. Trung's fishing captain license was suspended for nine months and he was fined a total of VND 681.5 million for these violations.

The Sa Ky Port Border Guard also issued penalty decisions to two additional captains: Huynh Van Trach (born 1966), a resident of Thach Bi 1 quarter, Sa Huynh ward, and the captain of vessel QNg 94543TS; and Huynh Thanh Tra (born 1995, from the same address) and the captain of vessel QNg 94511TS. They were both fined for failing to maintain the necessary vessel monitoring system connection and for refusing to comply with inspections by competent authorities. They were each penalized VND 205 million and had their captain licenses suspended for nine months.

Lieutenant Colonel Hieu emphasized that strict enforcement against violations such as those by the QNg 91369TS vessel aims to restore order in fisheries operations and ensure the safety of fishermen and vessels at sea. The effort is also part of broader measures to eliminate unlicensed and non-compliant fishing activities, helping Vietnam combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and work toward the European Commission’s removal of its “yellow card” warning.

“Many boat owners remain negligent, failing to comply with essential regulations on vessel registration, fishing licenses, and the installation of monitoring equipment, mandatory for vessels 15 meters and longer”, Hieu said, adding that the border guard force will continue working with relevant agencies to conduct inspections, provide guidance, and take firm action against deliberate violations.

*USD 1 = VND 26,385.02 (Source: Vietcombank)