Declaring War on IUU Fishing - Part 2

With a strong commitment to sustainable and responsible fisheries development, Vietnam is making concerted efforts to lift the European Commission's (EC) IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing "yellow card." Positive developments in coastal localities demonstrate Vietnam's determination to protect its fisheries resources, comply with international regulations, and affirm its image as a responsible, integrated, and environmentally conscious maritime nation.

Lesson 2: Affirming the image of a blue-water nation, responsibility, and integration.

Anchovy fishing boat belonging to fishermen in the coastal area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Hoang Nhi/TTXVN

The core consists of exemplary fishermen.

From being targets for awareness campaigns, many fishermen have now become "extended arms" of law enforcement agencies in the fight against IUU fishing. These exemplary fishermen are contributing to spreading awareness of law compliance and maintaining the reputation of Vietnam's fisheries sector.

With over 40 years of experience in offshore fishing, Mr. Vu Van Lang, a fisherman from Vung Tau ward, Ho Chi Minh City, currently owns a large fleet of 19 vessels, each over 15 meters long, engaged in offshore fishing. Mr. Lang stated that he regularly receives guidance and instructions from authorities regarding combating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing. These frequent and continuous reminders have significantly improved his awareness and behavior, both when preparing his fishing vessels for departure and during fishing trips. “Since then, I always remind the captains to absolutely not fish in foreign waters and to fully declare information when entering and leaving ports. The vessels only use legal fishing gear and are prohibited from using explosives or chemicals,” Mr. Lang shared.

Having previously exploited overlapping maritime areas, and being discovered and apprehended by foreign authorities, resulting in the seizure of his vessel and crew, Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung, an owner of an offshore fishing vessel in Vung Tau ward, said that after that incident, his family was on the verge of bankruptcy because their assets were confiscated by a foreign country.

Expressing his remorse, Mr. Hung said: “After the incident, I realized the enormous damage caused by IUU fishing. It not only affected Vietnam's fisheries industry but also plunged my family into hardship.”

Nowadays, whenever he meets with fellow fishermen and boat owners in the area, Mr. Hung frequently reminds everyone to raise awareness about the EC's "yellow card" warning and the fight against IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing. "Every time I sit down for a chat or morning coffee with the fishermen, I always encourage them to strictly comply with the requirements of the authorities before the boat leaves port, to be careful when fishing at sea, and especially to avoid fishing near overlapping areas, because if detected, they will be arrested and lose all their assets," Mr. Hung added.

Currently, programs such as "Morning Coffee with Fishermen" and "Breakfast with Fishermen" are regularly organized by authorities in Ho Chi Minh City to widely disseminate information to the public about recommendations against IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing. Ms. Bui Thi Kim Nhung, residing in Long Hai commune, shared that thanks to regularly attending these programs, her awareness has significantly changed. Her family has signed a commitment not to fish in foreign waters. Before going out to sea, they complete all necessary paperwork as required by the authorities.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tam, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Long Hai Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, said that through programs such as "Breakfast with Fishermen" and "Morning Coffee with Fishermen," the Party and State's policies and laws on combating IUU fishing are updated and disseminated directly to fishermen. Through these programs, the local authorities are also able to promptly understand the concerns, aspirations, difficulties, and obstacles faced by fishermen in order to address them in a timely manner.

Not only in Ho Chi Minh City, but also in many other provinces such as An Giang province, many exemplary fishermen have become a core force working alongside the government and Border Guard in preventing IUU fishing after participating in models such as "Safe Boat Teams" and "Solidarity Teams at Sea". Along with regular patrols and inspections of fishing records and logs, every time they process departure and arrival procedures, An Giang Provincial Border Guard officers widely disseminate information to help people understand that combating IUU fishing is protecting their own livelihoods.

Similarly, in Ca Mau province, the southernmost province of Vietnam, measures to combat IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing are being implemented vigorously. Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Le Van Su, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing, has urged all levels and sectors to focus intensely, act decisively, and achieve concrete results daily and in every task. The spirit of cooperation between the government and fishermen is becoming increasingly evident, creating a strong community force in protecting aquatic resources and national prestige.

Decisive action and technological application.

Without waiting for peak periods, maritime authorities regularly conduct patrols, inspections, and handle IUU violations. Along with digital transformation in fishing vessel management and traceability, Vietnam is making steady progress towards the goal of having its "yellow card" lifted by 2025.

Over the past period, the Vietnam Coast Guard has maintained its forces and equipment on duty, and has decisively and flexibly implemented measures and plans for patrolling, inspecting, and controlling maritime areas, focusing on overlapping maritime areas, areas bordering Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and the historical waters of Vietnam and Cambodia; strictly inspecting fishing vessels that have lost signal connection with their vessel monitoring systems (VMS), vessels that remove, send, or receive VMS equipment, and fishing vessels that cross the border into foreign waters to operate...

Working together with fishermen, local authorities, and functional forces, the management and supervision of fishing vessels at the central and local levels have seen many positive changes thanks to the promotion of technology application and digital transformation. Currently, Vietnam has implemented the Electronic Traceability System (eCDT) for harvested seafood, ensuring transparency, preventing fraud, and ensuring compatibility and interoperability with other international electronic traceability systems such as CATCH of the EU and CDS of the FAO.

According to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Inspection Department, from the beginning of the year to October 2025, the number of vessel departures via the eCDT system increased by nearly 80%, the number of vessel arrivals increased by 139%, and the volume of seafood landed increased by 41%; the number of certificates of origin for seafood raw materials (SC) increased by nearly 290%, and the number of certificates of origin for harvested seafood (CC) increased by as much as 785% compared to the same period last year.

Mr. Vu Duy Hai, Deputy Director of the Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), said that the information technology infrastructure is being upgraded synchronously, helping fishermen easily update data through platforms such as VNeID, Border Guard, e-logbook, and eCDT. In addition, the database for controlling seafood harvested from foreign countries and imported into Vietnam is also interconnected with the National Single Window Portal to ensure control and prevention of seafood products violating IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing regulations entering Vietnam, in accordance with the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA).

For imported seafood products, Vietnam implements the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), establishing a mechanism for contact and verification of information with flag states, controlling documentation, and monitoring imported seafood at seaports, processing plants, and export sites – ensuring that illegally harvested seafood does not enter the supply chain.

Under the close guidance of the Government, the close coordination of ministries, sectors and localities, and the awareness of fishermen, Vietnam is gradually affirming its determination to remove the IUU "yellow card," while building a modern, responsible and sustainable fisheries sector, making a positive contribution to marine economic development and international integration. (To be continued)

Declaring War on IUU Fishing - Part 3: Vietnam is fully preparing to have the "yellow card" lifted.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/tuyen-chien-voi-iuu-bai-2-20251120163748488.htm