HCM City authorities inspect a fishing vessel found violating regulations on vessel monitoring systems. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City is stepping up enforcement of regulations on vessel monitoring systems (VMS) installed on fishing boats, as part of urgent efforts to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Được has instructed departments, sectors and coastal localities to urgently address longstanding shortcomings in compliance with VMS regulations, stressing that the task is critical to meeting Việt Nam’s commitments in the fight against IUU fishing.

Under the directive, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is assigned to take the lead, working closely with the Department of Justice, municipal police, the city’s Border Guard Command, the fisheries port management authority and coastal ward and commune administrations, including the Côn Đảo special zone.

The agencies are required to intensify legal communication and awareness-raising on fisheries management and IUU prevention, with particular emphasis on regulations governing the installation and uninterrupted operation of VMS equipment, as well as penalties for violations.

Communication activities must be carried out regularly and in diverse formats, tailored to specific target groups, especially vessel owners and fishermen directly engaged in offshore fishing.

Alongside communication efforts, the city leader has ordered stronger training programmes for officials and law enforcement personnel involved in fisheries management.

Training will focus on updating new regulations on administrative sanctions, while improving skills in inspection, detection and handling of violations.

Special attention is required to ensure that case files proposing penalties, or exemptions from penalties in cases of VMS signal loss, are prepared accurately and supported by sufficient legal grounds.

Relevant agencies have also been told to strengthen coordination in inspecting and monitoring fishing activities at sea, while promptly sharing information on VMS violations to ensure cases are handled within proper authority, without omission or overlapping responsibilities.

The review of files proposed for closure without penalties must be conducted proactively and on a regular basis, strictly in line with current legal provisions.

The chairman further requested that agencies review all outstanding cases in accordance with regulations on administrative sanctions and statutory limitation periods, in order to decisively handle violations that remain within the time limit and have adequate legal basis.

Any failure to sanction violations despite clear evidence must be reviewed, with responsibilities examined and disciplinary measures applied in line with regulations on law enforcement oversight.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment is tasked with regularly updating the situation, consolidating implementation results and promptly advising the city People’s Committee on solutions to emerging difficulties, while reporting outcomes within the required deadlines.

According to the department, HCM City currently has 4,449 fishing vessels, of which 4,301 have installed VMS equipment, accounting for 96.67 per cent of the fleet.

From 2024 to 2025, authorities detected 1,729 instances of vessels losing VMS connection for six hours or more.

A total of 196 cases, or 11.34 per cent, were penalised, with fines amounting to nearly VNĐ6.6 billion.

For violations involving VMS disconnection lasting more than 10 days, 81 cases were recorded, of which 30 vessels, or 37.04 per cent, were fined, with total penalties exceeding VNĐ1.2 billion. — VNS