Following the reality that fishing ports play a crucial role in addressing issues related to IUU fishing, many provinces and cities in the Central region have engaged the full support of the Party Committee, local government, and border guards to tackle specific challenges, thereby fostering a more sustainable fishing environment.
Although enforcement actions have been implemented against IUU fishing vessels, a significant gap remains between regulatory efforts and actual compliance in the management of offshore fishing vessels in central provinces and cities. The ongoing occurrence of foreign water violations, VMS connectivity failures, and '3 no' vessel operations underscores this disparity. ‘Three no’ vessels mean unregistered, uninspected, unlicensed vessels.
According to the Fisheries Department of Binh Thuan Province, by the end of March 2025, the locality had 956 fishing vessels that had not completed the procedures for granting or re-granting licenses. In addition, in the first 3 months of 2025, the locality discovered nearly 40 fishing vessels that had lost their VMS connection.
However, after inspecting the issue, it was determined that vessels were losing their VMS connection due to the satellite service provider adjusting and optimizing their coverage area following a service restoration, resulting in unstable satellite services.
Meanwhile, Chairman Nguyen Van Hung of Phu Cat District People's Committee, Binh Dinh Province, informed that the locality has nearly 100 fishing vessels that regularly fish in the South region but do not return to the area, with a very high risk of violations. Recently, Binh Dinh Province has had a mechanism to support 50 percent of the cost of installing VMS equipment for this group of fishing vessels to put them under special monitoring.
Head Le Ngoc Linh of the Department of Fisheries of Quang Binh Province reported that the locality has prioritized the implementation of central and provincial directives aimed at combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. As a result, the province has effectively prevented fishing vessel incursions into unauthorized maritime zones and enforced stringent '3 no' (unregistered, uninspected, unlicensed) regulations, leading to a sustained period without foreign detentions of provincial fishing vessels or fishermen, a notable positive outcome.
The People's Court of Quang Binh Province recently held a mock trial to address violations of the Law on Fisheries and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The event drew many fishermen from coastal villages.
Captain Nguyen Xuan Duc of the QB-92049 TS vessel in Duc Trach Commune of Quang Binh Province’s Bo Trach District stated that adhering to the Fisheries Law and taking action against IUU fishing is essential for the fisheries sector to restore its green card status.
The mock trial was conducted with utmost seriousness, and the attendees listened intently, drawing lessons to ensure they would not violate the law or engage in illegal fishing practices when at sea, thereby helping to lift the European Commission's (EC) yellow card warning.
Colonel Trinh Thanh Binh, Commander of the Quang Binh Provincial Border Guard, reported the mobilization of multi-level and cross-sectoral participation, encompassing both maritime and land-based border guard units. The Provincial Border Guard has intensified public awareness campaigns targeting fishermen, emphasizing the detrimental effects of IUU fishing and promoting compliance with official inspections and controls. This comprehensive approach, he believes, will effectively minimize IUU fishing violations.
Vice Chairman Nguyen Tuan Thanh of Binh Dinh Provincial People's Committee said that the local administration is determined to step up control of high-risk fishing vessels that have been listed.
He added the province has resolved to prevent 16 "3 no" fishing vessels from departing the port, directing them instead to a designated area for confinement. Specifically, it is emphasized that no vessel will be permitted to set sail unless it is equipped with VMS technology. For vessels that often experience connection losses or interruptions in VMS equipment, it is essential to collaborate with telecommunications providers to investigate and identify the underlying causes. It is important not to exploit equipment malfunctions for the purpose of violating regulations or gaining profit.
Moreover, he said that the provincial police and the provincial border guards are assigned to coordinate with functional units of the southern provinces to continue investigating and strictly handling organizations and individuals who commit IUU. In particular, the locality actively investigates and handles individuals and organizations that broker and connect fishing vessels to fish in foreign waters as well as handle abrupt disconnection and sending Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) devices.
Head of the Department of Fisheries in Da Nang City, Luu Quang Khanh, stated that the department is coordinating with other units to monitor and verify cases of fishing vessels losing their VMS connection for more than 6 hours, 10 days, or 6 months. The department will strictly punish any instances of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and will report the results of these efforts every two weeks.
