Quang Ngai commits to completely overcome the shortcomings in IUU fishing

(Chinhphu.vn) – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment requested Quang Ngai province to resolutely implement measures to overcome shortcomings in IUU fishing to seize golden opportunities and remove the tag for the fisheries industry.

The working group from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment inspects the Tinh Hoa storm shelter and fishing port - Photo: VGP/LH

The number of fishing vessels at risk of violating IUU regulations has decreased significantly.

On September 8th, a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, led by Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, inspected the Tinh Hoa storm shelter and fishing port and worked with Quang Ngai province on the progress of implementing the European Commission's (EC) recommendations in combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing.

According to the Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee, in recent times, the locality has directed decisive action, issued many specific plans, organized conferences to disseminate information down to the commune level, strengthened supervision, and held leaders accountable. As a result, the number of fishing vessels at risk of violating IUU regulations has decreased significantly.

As of August 31st, the province had 4,898 fishing vessels 6 meters or longer, of which over 95% had been licensed for fishing. Registration, inspection, and marking of fishing vessels reached 100%. All fishing vessels in operation have installed vessel tracking systems (VMS). Vessels that have not installed these systems are listed separately for management purposes.

The number of fishing vessels at risk of violating IUU regulations has decreased significantly - Photo: VGP/LH

The province has also implemented an electronic seafood traceability system (eCDT) for 100% of vessels entering and leaving ports; monitored over 13,400 tons of catch passing through ports and collected 13,500 fishing logbooks. As of August 2025, the Fisheries Port Management Board had issued 99 raw material certificates for over 2,500 tons of seafood; the Fisheries and Marine Sub-Department issued 62 certificates for harvested seafood with over 800 tons of products.

However, according to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the locality still experiences situations where vessels lose connection with VMS and cross fishing boundaries. In the two years of 2024-2025, functional forces handled many violations but still faced difficulties due to limited personnel and confusion in applying administrative regulations.

In response to these issues, Quang Ngai province is committed to decisively addressing them, requiring localities and relevant units to strengthen coordination and supervision, and promptly detect and prevent violating vessels.

Mr. Ho Trong Phuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: "The province is committed to implementing comprehensive solutions to ensure significant improvements from now until September 15th, and to make the best preparations for the meeting with the EC inspection team. This is an urgent task, both to protect the reputation of the fisheries sector and to ensure sustainable livelihoods for fishermen."

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien - Photo: VGP/LH

Urgently complete the fisheries infrastructure to serve fishermen.

Regarding fishing port infrastructure, Quang Ngai province is implementing a project to upgrade and expand the Tinh Hoa fishing port and storm shelter area (Dong Son commune). The project has a total investment of 460 billion VND, of which 400 billion VND comes from the central government budget and 60 billion VND from the local government. According to the design, the new port will be 350m long and 12m wide, and upon completion will be able to receive approximately 25,000 tons of seafood per year.

By early September 2025, only 16.8% of the construction work had been completed. Many important items, such as the renovation of the old port, embankments, internal port roads, and water supply and drainage systems, have been implemented. However, progress is being affected by compensation and land clearance work, which has only reached nearly 50% of the area. Compensation costs have increased by more than 39 billion VND compared to the initial estimate. In addition, the design of the ship docking stairs at the wharf is considered unreasonable, causing difficulties for fishermen when transporting goods.

Mr. Ho Trong Phuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Ngai province, stated that this is a key fisheries infrastructure project, contributing to protecting fishermen during the rainy and stormy season and promoting the province's marine economy . The government will focus on resolving obstacles related to land, capital, and progress to ensure the project is completed and put into service for fishermen as soon as possible. To ensure this goal, the local authorities have requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to approve the adjustment of the total investment amount soon, and have also proposed that the Provincial People's Committee supplement the compensation and land clearance funds. If these issues are resolved promptly, Tinh Hoa fishing port will become a modern and safe fishing center, contributing to improving the lives of the fishing community in Quang Ngai.

Concluding the working session, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien acknowledged Quang Ngai's efforts in combating IUU fishing, especially the application of digital technology ; the functional agencies in the province have also coordinated relatively closely to monitor fishing fleets and handle violations.

"This is a golden opportunity for Vietnam to lift the 'yellow card' on fisheries after 8 years. This campaign must be coordinated, decisive, and thorough. From now until September 15th, we must demonstrate to the European Commission that Vietnam has entered the right track and has made positive progress in all four areas: institutions, fleet management and supervision, traceability, and handling of administrative violations," the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment emphasized.

Regarding the Tinh Hoa fishing port project, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment requested that the province accelerate the progress, working day and night, and not allowing delays due to subjective reasons. The Ministry will continue to cooperate and provide maximum support to the province to complete the task, creating a clear transformation in the development of fisheries infrastructure and combating IUU fishing.

Luu Huong

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/quang-ngai-cam-ket-khac-phuc-dut-diem-cac-ton-tai-trong-khai-thac-iuu-102250908165319667.htm