Fishing boat KG 92574‑TS inspected and detained by the Coast Guard Region 4 Command. — Photo baoangiang.com

AN GIANG — A fishing boat suspected of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing was intercepted on Saturday by the Coast Guard Region 4 Command in the southwestern waters and is being handled in line with legal regulations.

At 5.30pm on Friday, while operating in the Vietnamese waters adjacent to Malaysia, Vessel 371 of the command’s IUU fishing prevention task force detected a fishing boat coded KG-92574-TS showing a high risk of crossing into foreign waters. The Coast Guard repeatedly called on the vessel to change course and head North of the boundary area. However, the boat did not comply and continued moving toward foreign waters at an unchanged speed and direction.

The Coast Guard pursued and continued ordering the boat to stop. By 8pm the same day, Vessel 371 successfully approached and controlled the situation, preventing the fishing boat from entering Malaysian waters.

Inspection revealed that the boat carried five crew members, captained by a man born in 1985 and residing in Tây Yên Commune of An Giang Province. The captain failed to present required legal documents. No seafood or cargo was found on board while the vessel monitoring system (VMS) was not functioning at the time of inspection.

Authorities completed initial procedures and escorted the boat to Phú Quốc special zone, An Giang Province, for further investigation and handling in accordance with the law.

The Coast Guard Region 4 Command has recently mobilised dozens of vessels and hundreds of officers to intensify patrols and enforcement in Việt Nam's waters bordering Malaysia and Thailand, aiming to prevent fishing vessels from encroaching into foreign waters and contributing to efforts to have the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning on Việt Nam’s seafood sector removed. — VNA/VNS