Fishermen in Vĩnh Long check their vessel monitoring systems before setting out to sea. Photo laodong.vn

VĨNH LONG — As the year-end fishing season approaches, authorities in Vĩnh Long Province are stepping up measures to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, in line with national efforts to have the European Commission’s yellow card lifted.

Nguyễn Văn Buội, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, said that this is the peak period for offshore fishing as vessels increase their catch.

To ensure legal and sustainable operations, the department has been working closely with coastal localities to enhance communication and raise awareness among fishermen, especially vessel owners, about the need to strictly follow fishery regulations.

Authorities have instructed local teams to ensure no vessel crosses the maritime boundary or operates in foreign waters.

Fishing boats are also required to maintain uninterrupted VMS (vessel monitoring system) connections.

If a signal loss occurs, captains must immediately report their exact position and time to the Fisheries Surveillance and Marine Administration for timely handling.

In high-risk communes, local officials and Party members have been assigned to monitor, guide, and assist vessel owners in complying with legal procedures.

For boats operating near the border area, real-time updates are sent to warn captains to move back into Vietnamese waters safely and avoid violations.

A small number of vessels have been found operating with expired registration, inspection certificates, or fishing licenses.

In these cases, authorities have applied the principle of “door-to-door engagement” to remind and encourage owners to renew their documents within 10 to 15 days.

Those failing to comply will have their licences revoked in accordance with the law.

Nguyễn Văn Quyền, a fisherman from Tân Thủy Commune, said his family owns two offshore fishing vessels and always complies with legal requirements after being informed about the regulations.

To ensure uninterrupted tracking, he has installed two VMS devices on each boat — one serves as a backup if the other malfunctions.

“Going far out to sea, we never know when equipment might fail,” he explained. “If one stops working, the other keeps transmitting signals to authorities.”

He also emphasised that violating foreign waters is not worth the risk. “The fines are higher than the income from a whole trip, and it damages the reputation of our national fisheries sector,” he said, expressing his hope that the yellow card will soon be removed to boost seafood exports and sustainable growth.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Vĩnh Long currently has 4,638 fishing vessels, including 2,238 offshore boats.

Monitoring has been conducted closely, with 100 per cent of active vessels equipped with VMS devices.

The connection rate exceeds 98 per cent, with most disconnections caused by technical malfunctions rather than deliberate violations.

From 2024 to date, the province has reported no cases of vessels intruding into foreign waters—a notable achievement reflecting the province’s determination to combat IUU fishing and contribute to the national goal of sustainable and responsible seafood production. —VNS