Ninh Binh accelerates vessel registration, strengthens IUU fishing control

To accelerate the registration of fishing vessels and the issuance of fishing licences, the People’s Committee of Ninh Binh province has instructed local authorities and relevant departments to fully implement government and provincial directives.

Vice Chairman of the Ninh Binh People’s Committee Tran Anh Dung said the provincial administration has instructed authorities at all levels to review and count fishing vessels that have not yet been registered or licensed.

Authorities were also requested to guide and support vessel owners seeking registration or fishing licences to complete procedures in compliance with the 2017 Fisheries Law. Meanwhile, all vessel data must be updated accurately on the National Fisheries Database (VNFishbase) and the national resident database (VNeID).

For vehicles failing to meet registration or licensing requirements, local agencies have to make a list of these vessels for close monitoring, ensuring they remain without fishing gear and are prohibited from fishing activities. Authorities may enforce their removal from the waters and publicly disclose information via media channels to enable community supervision.

Forces were also tasked with assisting vessel owners, captains, and crew members in registering and verifying VNeID accounts to synchronise resident and vessel data. Public information campaigns should be stepped up to raise public awareness.

As of October 12, Ninh Binh had registered all 1,361 fishing vessels over 6 metres in length and updated their information on VNFishbase, achieving 100%. Registered vessels have been properly numbered and marked. The province currently monitors 20 vessels considered high-risk for IUU violations, and they remain idle under strict local supervision, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment./.