Localities urged to tighten fisheries management to combat IUU fishing

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) has asked localities to continue reviewing and strictly managing fishing fleets, particularly vessels that do not meet requirements, as part of efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Accordingly, provinces and cities must compile lists of vessels without or with expired fishing licences, technical registration certificates or food safety certificates, as well as those without vessel monitoring systems (VMS). They must strictly control the mooring of such vessels and prevent them from loading fishing gear or engaging in fishing activities until they meet all requirements.

For vehicles that lose VMS connection at sea for six hours or more, authorities must review records and strictly handle cases involving failure to report positions every six hours, improper reporting or missing position records. Violations related to fishing and transshipment logs, VMS requirements, fishing beyond permitted boundaries or incursions into foreign waters, if any, must be addressed thoroughly within 60 days.

Localities were also demanded to review records of fishing vessels leaving and entering ports, ensuring sufficient and consistent data and clarifying discrepancies between archived records and information on the management system.

The MAE requested verifying identity information of fishing vessels and their owners, and activating Level-2 identification on the VNeID system. They must also complete the installation of the electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) application for all owners of fishing vessels of 6 metres or more.

Adequate resources must be allocated to inspect and control vessels at ports and at sea, monitor vessels entering and leaving ports, and supervise seafood volumes loaded and unloaded at fishing ports.

The ministry also asked localities to upgrade fishing ports under the 2021 2030 master plan, including privately operated ports and fishing wharves, to facilitate vessel operations and eCDT declarations.

Provinces and cities were told to report the results of a survey of existing fishing vessels, including unregistered ones and those whose registrations have been cancelled but which remain operational. Based on the survey and guidance from the Directorate of Fisheries, they are to register vessels and issue or renew fishing licences and safety certificates as required.

Regarding traceability, fishing port management organisations and fisheries sub-departments must issue certificates of origin for caught seafood to businesses.

The MAE said inspections in Can Tho city and Vinh Long province found that information about all fishing vessels subject to registration have been updated on the national fisheries database (VNFishbase), equipped with VMS, linked to the national population database through VNeID and marked as required.

At a recent meeting with Vinh Long authorities, Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung urged the province to strengthen fleet management, focus on handling “three-no” vessels (no registration, no inspection certificates and no fishing licences), address VMS disconnections, tighten port controls and improve seafood traceability.

He called for a shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to ensure complete and transparent data, improve fisheries management, meet anti-IUU fishing requirements, and promote sustainable development./.