The Border Guard Command of the central coastal province of Quang Binh’s 11-day peak campaign to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is now in full swing.

The south-central coastal province of Binh Dinh will provide one-time financial support for the installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) for boats that are 12-15 metres in length, as part of the efforts to clamp down on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has stressed the need to further perfect, manage, and operate the vessel monitoring system (VMS) smoothly and effectively, according to a notice newly issued by the Government’s Office.

Vietnam has shown high determination in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing to have the European Commission’s “yellow card” against its fisheries sector removed, with many achievements and positive changes recorded since 2017, commented Nguyen Anh Thu, a researcher of the Blue Security Fellowship programme at Australia’s La Trobe University.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a conference in Hanoi on April 11 to popularise new contents in regulations on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing prevention and combat prescribed in newly-issued legal documents.

Ahead of the coming inspection by a European Commission (EC) delegation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) recently asked the administrations of coastal localities to review the situation of fishing vessels unable to be tracked via vessel monitoring systems (VMS).

Fishing vessels in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang have strictly followed regulations and proactive monitoring measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, according to the provincial Steering Committee for IUU Fishing Prevention and Control.

Tam Hai island commune in Nui Thanh district, the central province of Quang Nam, which owns the strongest fishing boat fleet in Quang Nam, has seen a considerable change in local fishermen’s awareness of fisheries regulations and the prevention and combat of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing thanks to effective communications efforts of local authorities.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has asked localities to take strong measures to fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and prepare for the visit by the European Commission’s inspection team in October to assess Vietnam’s progress in combating IUU fishing.

Installing Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) equipment and supervising their operations play an important role in removing the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood.