Proactive measures help Dong Thap stamp out IUU fishing violations. (Source: VNA)

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has reported no cases of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing since 2022, thanks to the consistent implementation of public awareness campaigns and strict enforcement of sustainable fisheries management regulations.

Gia Thuan and Tan Dong communes, both with a strong offshore fishing fleet of 704 vessels and an annual catch of over 10,000 tonnes, have played a pivotal role in this achievement. According to Huynh Thanh Toan, Chairman of the Gia Thuan communal People’s Committee, local authorities have partnered with relevant agencies and border guard stations to educate fishermen about IUU regulations and closely monitor vessel operations. Cruise monitoring devices are used to prevent incursions into foreign waters. As a result, no violations involving foreign waters have been recorded in Gia Thuan since 2022.

Since early this year, the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Environment has re-established its fisheries vessel monitoring task force and the IUU inspection team. It has also launched inspection missions to oversee the installation and sealing of cruise monitoring equipment, VX 1700 radios, and docked vessels. The department continues to enforce anti-IUU regulations and works with neighbouring provinces to ensure synchronised implementation.

In collaboration with enforcement agencies, Dong Thap has implemented a comprehensive electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT), ensuring that 100% of vessels entering or exiting ports and seafood purchasing enterprises update their data on the platform.

Tran Thi Be Bay, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, noted that the province is intensifying efforts to combat IUU fishing through urgent, targeted measures. These include effective vessel registration and inspection, quota-based licensing, certification of food safety compliance for fishing vessels, and the continual updating of vessel data on the national VN-Fishbase system.

The department also works with local governments and border guards to enhance public awareness and strictly monitor fishing activities via the vessel monitoring system (VMS). Violations such as disconnection of tracking devices are subject to strict penalties, and vessels that fail to meet regulatory requirements are prohibited from operating at sea.

Dong Thap currently has 1,554 fishing vessels with a total of 9,838 crew members. Of these, 60% are high-capacity vessels capable of reaching distant fishing grounds such as Con Dao, the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, and the DK1 platform. Meanwhile, trawlers, bottom gillnetters, and handline vessels mainly operate in the Ba Dong, Vung Tau, and Nam Con Son fishing areas. To date, 910 vessels have been equipped with active cruise monitoring devices, achieving 100% compliance.