Fishing vessels dock at the area in Quy Nhơn Ward, Gia Lai Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

GIA LAI — Gia Lai has become the first locality in Việt Nam to install voyage monitoring systems (VMS) on fishing boats measuring from 12m to under 15m in length, as part of efforts to have the European Commission’s (EC) “yellow card” warning against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing removed.

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, alongside synchronously and drastically implementing anti-IUU fishing measures, the central province is pursuing comprehensive solutions aimed at developing a sustainable fisheries sector.

It has completed the handling of fishing vessels that disconnected their VMS devices, crossed permitted fishing boundaries at sea or violated foreign waters. It has also ensured that 100 per cent of registered vessels are properly numbered and marked in accordance with regulations.

Authorities have reviewed the entire fishing fleet, verified vessel information and imposed fishing bans on boats that fail to meet operational requirements.

The province is also the first to deploy a smart automatic warning system to detect vessels that lose signal connection at sea or exceed permitted maritime boundaries, thereby helping to prevent violations.

In addition, Gia Lai has completed the digitalisation and identification of all fishing vessels and conducted data reconciliation between the Vnfishbase fisheries database and the national population database (VNeID). To date, 3,119 vessels measuring 12m or longer in the province have adopted electronic fishing logbooks.

Trần Quốc Khánh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, said that in addition to central government policies, Gia Lai has introduced local support measures, including assistance for fishermen wishing to change occupations or dismantle vessels that are no longer eligible or in need of operation. The province also provides financial support to cover subscription fees for maintaining VMS connections and electronic logbooks for vessels of 12m and above.

For vessels that do not meet operational conditions, especially those anchoring outside the province, local authorities have dispatched commune officials and border guard forces to other provinces to request owners and captains to return vessels to shore and refrain from fishing activities. Coordination has also been strengthened with border guard forces nationwide to prevent ineligible vessels from setting sail.

These breakthrough measures are not only aimed at meeting inspection requirements and seeking the EC’s removal of the “yellow card”, but more importantly at ensuring the long-term sustainable development of the fisheries sector. — VNA/VNS