Digitalization of fisheries management

QTO - Faced with the urgent need to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the digitalization of fisheries management is no longer an option but a mandatory requirement. This will not only help to ensure transparency in the origin of seafood but also contribute to improved production efficiency, increased income, and reduced risks for fishermen.

Checking electronic equipment before setting sail - Photo: LA

Under the guidance of officials at the Cua Viet Market fishing port, since the end of 2025, fisherman Le Van Hai, captain of fishing vessel QT 94466TS, measuring 17.4m in length, has successfully installed and used the Electronic Logbook and Traceability (eCDT) software on his smartphone.

According to Mr. Hai, using eCDT allows him to easily declare information about port entry and exit times directly on his phone at any time, making it convenient for management to monitor. Information and data about fishing vessels, captains, crew members, laborers on board, schedules, etc., are also updated promptly and accurately.

"We fishermen are now very familiar with checking the connectivity of electronic devices such as fish finders, VMS vessel tracking systems, and long-range communication equipment before each fishing trip. Entering and leaving ports is also done through electronic reporting, saving a lot of time compared to before," Hai said.

According to Mr. Phan Duc Khanh, an official at the Cua Viet Market fishing port, eCDT has helped shift fisheries management from manual, paper-based methods to smart and modern management. This is a shared software, installed and used via smartphones, applicable to seven entities: the Fisheries Department, fisheries sub-departments, fishing port management boards, border guards, processing and export companies, purchasing facilities, and fishermen.

In particular, for fishing ports, the implementation of eCDT has the crucial task of increasing transparency in seafood production; controlling fishing vessels entering and leaving the port; collecting fishing logs; monitoring seafood production through the port; and issuing receipts, certificates of seafood raw materials, and certificates of origin for harvested seafood as required by regulations.

For fishermen, eCDT supports port entry and exit requirements; allows for quick, convenient, and accurate declaration of catch; and reduces errors in fishing logbooks. "To date, 100% of fishing vessels entering and leaving the Cua Viet Market fishing port have been doing so through eCDT," Mr. Khanh said.

Fishing vessels strictly adhere to the declaration process via eCDT before setting sail - Photo: LA

At Cua Viet fishing port, not only is it a pioneer in applying eCDT (Electronic Fishing Data Tracking) to 100% of fishing vessels entering and leaving the port by the end of 2025, but the unit has also put into use GTO (Electronic Logbook) devices on 4 fishing vessels with a length of 15m or more. This device is a powerful support for fishermen in managing fishing log information and synchronizing data from each catch to the eCDT system.

Fisherman Pham Van Bay, captain of fishing vessel QT 95069TS, one of the four fishing vessels supported in the pilot program, said that the device integrates GPS, a 4G SIM card, and smartphone connectivity via an application that allows for the real-time input of detailed information about the fishing vessel. This overcomes errors in recording the coordinates of fishing vessels at sea. When the fishing vessel returns to shore, the Port Management Board only needs to print the information from the electronic logbook very quickly and efficiently.

"Keeping a paper logbook on a fishing boat is difficult because the boat is constantly shaking. Electronic logbooks, on the other hand, only require a few taps on a phone, and the coordinates are more accurate," said Mr. Bay.

According to Tran Thien Nhan, head of Cua Viet fishing port, with the integration of real-time GPS, the GTO automatically and accurately records the coordinates, time of fishing, species, and yield of each net haul without allowing for interference or rewriting of the logbook after the vessel docks. This is crucial evidence to compare with vessel tracking data (VMS), helping to create an accurate traceability record.

Furthermore, GTO optimizes operations for fishermen. Instead of struggling with pen and paper in rough seas, captains only need a few taps on their smartphones. The software is designed to be flexible, allowing for offline data entry when signal is lost and automatically synchronizing to the eCDT system as soon as satellite or 4G signal is available. When the fishing vessel returns to port, port officials can easily access the vessel's fishing log by simply accessing eCDT.

"In the coming time, the unit will continue to pilot the program on a number of other fishing vessels to help fishermen become familiar with the benefits that the GTO electronic logbook brings," Mr. Tran Thien Nhan added.

Cua Viet fishing port is a pioneer in applying digital technology to manage and trace the origin of seafood - Photo: LA

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Huu Vinh, along with the synchronization of fishing vessel data on the national fisheries database system (VNFishbase), the installation of vessel tracking devices for fishing vessels 15 meters or longer has been basically completed… To date, over 70% of fishing vessels 6 meters or longer in length throughout the province have completed the installation and use of the eCDT software. The rate of fishing vessels arriving at and departing from ports using eCDT throughout the province has reached over 90%, with some fishing ports achieving 100%.

Surveys show that fishermen have gradually adapted to the new method; instead of manual record-keeping as before, operations such as reporting voyages, catch volumes, or completing procedures are now done on smartphones, which helps shorten time and reduce errors.

"Managing fisheries through software such as eCDT, GTO… not only contributes to improving monitoring efficiency, increasing transparency in fishing activities, and meeting the requirements of combating IUU fishing, but also creates a foundation for the fisheries sector to develop in a modern and sustainable direction," Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh affirmed.

Le An

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202603/so-hoa-quan-ly-nghe-ca-83c63fe/