Overcoming the IUU 'yellow card'

Final article: Building sustainable fisheries, ensuring livelihoods for fishermen

Photo caption — Check the ship's itinerary on the fishing vessel monitoring system at Ninh Co Fishing Port ( Ninh Binh province).

Support for fishermen

Identifying that the key to combating IUU fishing lies in raising fishermen's awareness of law compliance, authorities, unions, and professional associations in Ninh Binh province have implemented a variety of different approaches in an effort to remove the EC's IUU yellow card by 2025.

Ninh Co fishing port has dozens of ships entering every day to complete import and export procedures. For over a year, the officers in charge of receiving import and export information have both guided and promoted fishermen to promote the use of the eCDT electronic diary software.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chung, Director of the Fishing Port Management Board under the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ninh Binh province, said that the use of this software is not only a step to modernize the management of the fisheries sector, support fishermen to declare information quickly and accurately, replacing manual documents. More importantly, this is an effective measure to combat IUU fishing, serve the traceability and transparency of exported products.

However, due to the nature of seafaring, the information technology level of the people is still limited, fishermen are not proficient in logging in and using the electronic declaration software, making this work still encounter many difficulties. Currently, at the locations receiving import and export declarations, officers of the Fishing Port Management Board not only help ship owners register for import and export, but also guide them in installing and declaring using the software. The units also arrange declaration kiosks (electronic devices) and tablets to support fishermen in completing import and export procedures on the software.

In Ninh Binh province, there are 4 locations that carry out electronic declaration of origin of aquatic products from exploitation (eCDT) when ships leave and arrive at ports. Since the beginning of the year, the total number of ships that have completed procedures for electronic declaration of origin of aquatic products from exploitation (eCDT) is over 8,300; of which over 7,400 have gone through the Fishing Port Management Board.

Mr. Vu Van Tuan, owner of ship ND-92512-TS, shared that declaring import and export via electronic logbook software was initially confusing for ship owners, especially older ship owners. However, when completing the procedures, ship owners were enthusiastically guided by port officials. Up to now, ship owners have been proficient in performing the declaration steps. Officials also regularly disseminate and guide handling measures when encountering problems during offshore exploitation, helping fishermen feel secure in going out to sea and sticking to the sea.

Along with the functional forces, the Fisheries Union is one of the reliable addresses for fishermen in receiving information and recommendations, promptly reporting to competent authorities.

The Hai Xuan Commune Fisheries Union, Ninh Binh Province was established in November 2024, with 125 members who are boat owners and fishermen in the commune with a fleet of over 60 fishing vessels with engine capacity from 300 - 800CV. Since its establishment, the Union has regularly provided useful information on weather, fishing grounds and the Party's policies and guidelines, legal policies and the State's policies to support fishermen. Along with that, in emergency situations, the Union plays a key role in rescue work.

Mr. Nguyen Truong Quang, Chairman of Hai Xuan Fisheries Union, said that through meetings, training sessions and experience sharing, members clearly understand the importance of legal fishing, associated with protecting aquatic resources and the reputation of Vietnam's fisheries industry in the international market. Therefore, most members and workers comply with the law, pay attention to recording fishing logs, installing journey monitoring equipment and ensuring smooth, uninterrupted signals. Along with that, members also promptly report difficulties and problems in the fishing process to work with local authorities and functional agencies to resolve them.

For a sustainable fishery

Faced with the complicated situation of illegal fishing, on October 23, 2025, the People's Committee of Ninh Binh province issued Official Dispatch No. 312/UBND-VP3, requesting relevant departments, branches, units and People's Committees of communes with fishing vessels to focus on implementing the peak month of combating IUU fishing and sustainable development of the fisheries sector.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment of the province coordinates with relevant units to advise the Provincial People's Committee to promulgate policies on job conversion and liquidation of fishing vessels that do not need to operate in fisheries in accordance with local conditions and policies to support the replacement and maintenance of voyage monitoring equipment (VMS); policies to support fishermen in upgrading and replacing VMS equipment to meet the conditions specified in Decree No. 37/2024/ND-CP and maintaining connection to the VMS system 24/7 even when fishing vessels are anchored at the shore. At the same time, the unit advises on the announcement of the opening and putting into operation of fishing ports (including private fishing ports); arranges resources for inspection, arranges resources for inspection and control according to regulations.

The Provincial Border Guard Command strengthens control of fishing vessels leaving and arriving at ports; coordinates in monitoring the output of aquatic products exploited and unloaded at private fishing ports that have not been announced to be open on the VNeID, e-logbook, and eCDT systems; promptly warns and handles cases of lost connection to the voyage monitoring device (VMS).

The provincial police preside over and coordinate with relevant sectors to work and verify the masterminds and brokers who bring fishing vessels and fishermen to violate foreign waters; direct the implementation of a system to control fishing vessels and fishermen entering and leaving ports via VNeID, and coordinate to thoroughly handle violations related to VMS and illegal exploitation.

Commune-level authorities need to monitor and supervise ship owners, captains, fishermen, and brokers at high risk of violations, coordinate with departments and branches to compile an updated list of violators, fishing vessels, and seafood purchasing facilities that are not qualified to operate. Local authorities coordinate with forces to thoroughly handle IUU violations, especially violations of the voyage monitoring system (VMS); monitor all fishing vessel activities in communities and fishing ports, including private and traditional fishing ports.

Mr. Hoang Manh Ha, Head of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance of Ninh Binh province, informed that with the goal of protecting and developing aquatic resources to restore aquatic resources and aquatic ecosystems; linking patrolling, inspection, control and management of aquatic resources with sustainable fishing activities; combating IUU fishing, Ninh Binh province has issued a plan for fisheries development in Ninh Binh province until 2030.

The province strives to gradually proactively produce and meet the demand for marine fish and freshwater aquatic species; 100% of the demand for bivalve mollusk species; build a production, processing and consumption chain to ensure stable output for about 25% of aquaculture products. The value of aquatic product production in the period of 2026 - 2030 is estimated at 51,160 billion VND with an average growth rate of 3%/year.

To achieve this goal, the province's fisheries sector will assess the current status, changes in aquatic resources and the habitat of aquatic species in coastal and offshore areas of the province every 5 years (until 2030) to assess the reserves and the ability to allow sustainable fisheries exploitation in the province as a basis for determining the allocation of fisheries exploitation quotas. The sector will also research and propose solutions and plans for fisheries management in line with the orientation of sustainable fisheries economic development...

In the field of exploitation, the province adjusts and restructures the fishing professions in accordance with the exploitation capacity of aquatic resources in the direction of not developing and gradually reducing some types of fishing professions that are not friendly to resources and the environment, and have low selectivity in coastal and inland waters. The province structures specialized labor in accordance with natural conditions, aquatic resources, and socio-economic characteristics of each locality.

Ninh Binh allocates appropriate fishing quotas to fishing fleets; complies with responsible fishing codes of conduct; combats illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The local perspective is to build a sustainable fishery; exploitation goes hand in hand with conservation, livelihoods are linked with responsibility.

“In addition to the efforts of the fisheries sector and functional units, the cooperation of the community, awareness of compliance with legal regulations and the responsibility of each fisherman and worker at sea... play an important role in meeting the regulations to remove the EC's yellow card; at the same time, maintaining aquatic resources, aiming for sustainable fisheries development", Mr. Ha affirmed...

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/khac-phuc-the-vangiuu-bai-cuoi-20251112111545377.htm