A fishing boat operating off the coast of HCM City. More than 500 vessels in the area have been affected by a VNPT tracking system disruption. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — More than 500 fishing vessels in HCM City have been affected after VNPT Group temporarily suspended data transmission and synchronisation from its vessel monitoring system (VMS), VNPT-VSS, to the national Fisheries Directorate’s data centre starting November 7, city authorities reported.

According to the city’s Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department, VNPT said the disruption was caused by a satellite malfunction that interrupted signal transmission, leading to unstable operations in tracking devices installed on many fishing boats.

Of the affected vessels, over 400 are currently operating offshore and facing direct impacts, while the rest are docked for maintenance.

Fishermen have expressed concerns that the loss of VMS connectivity could result in their vessels being deemed non-compliant with national tracking regulations, even though the issue did not stem from their side.

“If the connection remains lost for too long, authorities might classify our boats as engaging in unreported or unmonitored fishing, a serious risk at a time when Việt Nam is striving to remove the EU’s yellow card,” said a boat owner from Long Hải Commune.

To maintain compliance, several fishermen have been forced to switch to VMS equipment from other providers, a costly process.

Lê Thị Ngọt, a resident of Tam Thắng Ward, said her family operates 13 fishing boats and had invested over VNĐ364 million in VNPT tracking devices. 

After VNPT suspended connectivity, she had to replace all the equipment with devices from Viettel, costing an additional VNĐ286 million.

“The fishing business is already tough, and now we have to replace all our machines – it’s a huge loss. The old devices are practically useless,” she said.

Mạc Thị Nga, head of the city’s Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department, said more than 100 vessels are still operating offshore and have not yet been able to return to shore for device replacement.

Urgent notice

The HCM City Department of Agriculture and Environment has issued an urgent notice to all VMS providers in the city, calling on them to swiftly address existing technical problems to ensure proper monitoring and compliance with government regulations. 

The move also supports Việt Nam’s broader efforts to have the EU’s “yellow card” warning on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing lifted.

Monitoring of the city’s VMS network has revealed several ongoing issues, including missing user manuals and inaccurate or incomplete registration of vessel owners in the system – shortcomings that hinder management and traceability of seafood origins, a key requirement in the EU’s review process.

The department urged all VMS providers, including Bình Anh, Định vị Bách Khoa, Viettel, VNPT, Vishipel, Zunibal, Khánh Hội, and the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology, to urgently update all vessel and owner data in the national fisheries monitoring system to ensure accuracy and reliability.

It also stressed that providers must not unilaterally disconnect devices while vessels are at sea to ensure continuous monitoring and legal compliance.

“Maintaining a stable and accurate VMS system is not only a technical requirement but also a shared responsibility among all parties to protect marine resources and enhance the reputation of Vietnamese seafood in global markets,” Nga said.

The temporary suspension of VNPT’s connection has disrupted vessel tracking operations and further complicated efforts to ensure transparency and sustainability in Việt Nam’s fishing industry as it intensifies anti-IUU measures. — VNS