Authorities strengthen inspection and combat IUU fishing

An Giang strengthens inter-sectoral coordination, patrols, controls fishing activities, strictly handles IUU fishing vessels, and is determined to work with the whole country to remove the yellow card.

Joint forces at sea

The Southwest Sea has a high density of vessels, many overlapping areas, bordering countries in the region, and is always identified as a hot spot for fishing vessels violating IUU fishing. In this vast sea space, there are currently many forces stationed, patrolling, controlling, and ensuring security and order.

In the Southwest sea, the fight against IUU fishing has been coordinated by the Coast Guard Region 4, the Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department of Region 5 and the Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department of An Giang province, along with border guards, police, and local authorities. Photo: Trung Chanh.

The central force has Coast Guard Region 4, Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department Region 5. Locally, there is the Fisheries Sub-Department and Fisheries Surveillance of An Giang province, along with border guards, police, and local authorities. In recent times, the forces have established a close coordination mechanism, forming a continuous control network from shore to sea.

In particular, in the period of 2024 - 2025, the Command of Coast Guard Region 4 continuously launched peak patrols and controls against IUU fishing in the Southwest sea, combining with legal propaganda for fishermen at sea and at river mouths and fishing ports.

Thanks to the promotion of digital transformation, exploitation of VMS data, and shore-based monitoring systems, the detection of signs of violations is increasingly accurate and timely. Thereby, many cases of removing journey monitoring devices and violating foreign maritime boundaries have been detected and handled.

In the same fishing grounds, the Fisheries Surveillance Department of Region 5 is an important “link” in the enforcement of specialized laws. This is the unit directly responsible for the sea area with many overlapping areas, where dozens of Vietnamese fishing vessels have been captured by foreign countries each year.

The Fisheries Surveillance Department of Region 5 has signed a coordination regulation with specialized forces of coastal provinces to share fishing vessel data, monitor VMS journeys, coordinate joint patrols, verify and handle violations. Thereby, hundreds of violations have been detected and handled, with fines amounting to billions of VND, contributing to a significant reduction in the number of fishing vessels encroaching on foreign waters.

In the coastal area, the An Giang Province Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Department is both the focal point for managing the local fishing fleet and the bridge for coordination with the coastal forces. After the local fisheries management and fisheries surveillance apparatus was consolidated and streamlined, the coordination between the forces became closer: from licensing, fishing vessel registration, updating VMS data, controlling vessels entering and leaving ports, to checking the traceability of aquatic products.

Thanks to this joint strategy, the anti-IUU fishing work of An Giang province in the Southwestern sea is no longer a single effort of each force, but a series of unified and synchronous actions from the central to local levels, from onshore to offshore. This is an important foundation for the long-term goal of building a responsible, sustainable fishing industry capable of deep integration with the international market.

Transforming from awareness to action

Along with inspection and control work, the authorities also step up direct propaganda to each ship owner, captain, and fisherman about legal regulations in fisheries exploitation, especially regulations related to combating IUU fishing.

One of the clear changes in the fight against IUU fishing in An Giang is the increasing awareness of fishermen. From captains to fishermen, everyone understands that going to sea now requires not only being good at the job, but also knowing the law. Doing it right will give you peace of mind at sea, doing it wrong will mean losing your livelihood.

An Giang provincial authorities approached fishing boats and distributed leaflets to promote anti-IUU fishing, creating a strong change in fishermen's awareness. Photo: Trung Chanh.

In the long term, the province has determined that combating IUU fishing is not only an immediate task to remove the yellow card but also a mandatory requirement in sustainable fisheries development. Therefore, An Giang is promoting the transformation of the fishing model towards modernity, reducing pressure on coastal fishing, and encouraging fishermen to participate in fishing, processing and consumption chains with clear traceability.

In addition, policies to support fishermen in changing jobs, providing vocational training, and accessing preferential loans are also being implemented to gradually reduce dependence on pure fishing, gradually stabilizing the livelihoods of coastal people.

The fight against IUU fishing in An Giang is being carried out with the synchronous participation of the entire political system, from the provincial to the grassroots level, from the functional forces to each fisherman. The positive changes today not only contribute to the whole country's efforts to remove the yellow card of the European Commission, but more importantly, lay the foundation for a responsible, sustainable and deeply integrated fishing industry with the international market.

The change comes from a shift in the fishermen’s awareness. Through many campaigns and direct dialogues, fishermen have gradually understood the harmful effects of IUU fishing not only on the nation’s reputation but also directly affecting their own long-term livelihoods.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/cac-luc-luong-chuc-nang-tang-cuong-kiem-tra-chong-khai-thac-iuu-d788412.html