This decisive action follows the implementation of Directive No. 32 by the Party Central Committee's Secretariat and Resolution No. 04 by the Supreme People’s Court, reinforcing legal measures to combat IUU fishing. Authorities have pursued cases involving serious offenses such as illegal border crossings, fraud, document forgery, vessel monitoring system (VMS) tampering, and the unauthorised use of explosives for fishing.

Already, 10 cases related to illegal fishing in foreign waters have been prosecuted, delivering a strong deterrent message to the fishing community. These efforts have yielded notable progress in curbing illegal fishing activities along Vietnam’s coastal provinces, significantly contributing to the country’s push to lift the European Commission’s "yellow card" warning on seafood exports.

In southern Kien Giang province, authorities have recently launched a criminal investigation into an illegal border crossing involving the fishing vessel KG-95541-TS, owned by N.T.K.C from Rach Gia city. The case came to light when the vessel lost connection with the monitoring system near An Thoi ward, Phu Quoc city. Despite multiple alerts, the vessel remained unresponsive. Later, Thai authorities pursued and detained the vessel in their waters.

Kien Giang’s IUU Steering Committee has reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling networks that facilitate illegal fishing in foreign waters. To date, provincial authorities have initiated 15 criminal cases involving illegal border crossings, fraud, unauthorised possession of explosives, cyber-related crimes, and VMS violations.

As part of its enforcement efforts, Kien Giang has successfully eliminated all unregistered, unlicensed, and undocumented ("three no") fishing vessels, registering 2,090 boats to ensure 100% compliance with national regulations.

According to Le Huu Toan, Director of the Kien Giang Department of Agriculture and Environment, eliminating unregistered vessels reduces maritime accidents, enhances fisheries management, and aligns with international fishing standards.

Currently, over 10,000 registered fishing boats in Kien Giang have been updated in the national fisheries database (Vnfishbase). As part of its ongoing crackdown on IUU fishing, the province is ramping up enforcement measures and making thorough preparations for an upcoming inspection by the European Commission’s IUU evaluation team in Vietnam.

Binh Thuan steps up efforts to tackle IUU fishing

The south-central province of Binh Thuan is ramping up its efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, according to the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.