Don't try to "steal the fish" by pretending to be friendly.

In recent days, news of a fishing vessel in Kien Giang province concealing vessel tracking devices (VMS) belonging to 14 other fishing vessels has once again caused headaches for authorities, as this situation is becoming increasingly common. This is not the first case where some fishing vessels intentionally send VMS devices to other vessels to engage in illegal fishing…

In recent times, the installation of VMS (Vehicle Monitoring System) equipment has significantly contributed to helping management agencies monitor and control fishing fleets in enforcing the Fisheries Law, as well as implementing solutions to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, especially preventing fishing vessels from violating foreign waters. However, the loss of signal while fishing remains quite common, or cases of transferring VMS equipment to other fishing vessels to "evade" authorities.

Recently, a similar situation occurred in Ca Mau province, and the provincial authorities revoked the fishing licenses of 7 fishing vessels involved in a case where one vessel concealed 10 VMS devices belonging to several other fishing vessels in exchange for dozens of liters of fuel. For each VMS device sent, the vessel owner would receive between 30 and 60 liters of fuel.

100% of fishing vessels 15 meters or longer in Binh Thuan have installed VMS equipment as required.

According to the Coast Guard Region 4 Command, in 2023, the unit's forces arrested and prosecuted dozens of fishing vessels for illegally removing VMS equipment and transferring it to other vessels for concealment. Despite active public awareness campaigns through various means, many fishermen still deliberately violate regulations for short-term gain, failing to understand the importance of the "red card" warning for Vietnamese fisheries if this fifth inspection fails.

The installation of VMS equipment has significantly contributed to helping management agencies monitor and control the fleet.

In Binh Thuan, while there haven't been any instances of VMS devices being sent to other fishing vessels, there are still many cases of VMS connection loss lasting over 10 days. Therefore, in a recent urgent document regarding the review of IUU fishing prevention efforts and preparation for the 5th meeting with the EC Inspectorate, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized the need to investigate, verify, and strictly handle, according to regulations, the cases of vessels losing VMS signal connection in the province, and to thoroughly address the issues as directed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Official Letter 2999/BNN-TS1. Simultaneously, the province will continue to closely monitor fishing vessels operating at sea through the vessel tracking system, promptly detecting, warning, and handling vessels that lose VMS connection or exceed permitted boundaries at sea, in accordance with established procedures and regulations.

Recently, the Border Guard Command of Binh Thuan and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces held a meeting to discuss the handling of fishing vessels from Ba Ria - Vung Tau province that have been sold and are operating in the waters of Binh Thuan province. According to the Border Guard Command of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, monitoring has revealed that six fishing vessels from Ba Ria - Vung Tau province operating in Binh Thuan's waters have lost VMS connectivity for over 10 days. These vessels regularly operate in distant waters for extended periods and do not return to Ba Ria - Vung Tau province for long durations. During the meeting, leaders of the Border Guard Commands of the two provinces and relevant departments exchanged detailed information on the six vessels and agreed on measures to address their situation. Close coordination between the functional agencies of the provinces and cities will lead to more effective management and control of vessels operating in different waters. In addition, information exchange in implementing measures to prevent and combat IUU fishing or handling violations will be faster and more synchronized.

To put an end to this situation, the Provincial People's Committee previously issued a document requesting the Fisheries Inspection Department, the Coast Guard, and the Navy, upon receiving notifications from the Fisheries Sub-Department about fishing vessels losing connection/crossing maritime boundaries, to coordinate in reminding vessel owners and captains to restore the connection signal (or call on fishing vessels to return to maritime boundaries), and to conduct inspections, handle violations, and impose penalties according to their authority. In addition, they were instructed to promptly exchange and provide information related to fishing vessels losing connection/crossing maritime boundaries with relevant functional units of Binh Thuan province for appropriate action.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/dung-doi-pho-de-co-tinh-trom-ca-118744.html