Dong Thap (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has rolled out a plan to implement recommendations from the European Commission on tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, aiming to fully fix shortcomings and contribute to the removal of the “yellow card” warning in 2026.

Public legal education is identified as a key pillar, with authorities urged to adopt more modern, interactive and targeted communication methods for fishermen, vessel owners, businesses and coastal communities.

Communication efforts will combine training sessions and on-site outreach at fishing ports, anchorage zones and fishing groups, alongside dedicated IUU content on official digital platforms, focusing on regulations, penalties and the consequences of violations to improve compliance.

The province will review and categorise all fishing vessels, including those ineligible for operation, operating outside local waters, pending ownership transfer or losing connection for extended periods, to strengthen oversight in line with licensing and registration rules.

Dong Thap is also accelerating vessel registration, inspection and licensing, while updating data in the national fisheries database (VNFishbase) and integrating it with the national population database via VNeID. All registered vessels are required to be properly marked and identified.

At the same time, the province is allocating resources to support livelihood transition and the decommissioning of inactive vessels, as well as subsidising the installation and upgrade of vessel monitoring systems (VMS), helping reduce pressure on marine resources and promote sustainable livelihoods.

Authorities will ensure full digital monitoring of vessels entering and leaving ports and border stations, with all activities recorded on the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT). IT infrastructure at ports and checkpoints is also being upgraded to support electronic procedures.

Fisheries surveillance forces, border guards and police will intensify patrols and inspections, while strictly handling violations such as illegal fishing in foreign waters, prolonged loss of VMS signals without reporting, or failure to return to port within regulated timeframes.

To date, all active fishing vessels in Dong Thap have been equipped with VMS devices and integrated into the national fisheries database, with most assigned digital IDs. A 24/7 monitoring system, combined with electronic fishing logs, enables close tracking of vessel movements and catches, helping curb unreported fishing.

The province operates two Class-II fishing ports, My Tho and Vam Lang, which meet regulatory standards and ensure vessels of 15m or longer dock at designated ports for catch monitoring and electronic traceability via eCDT. Since early 2026, the ports have processed 1,727 vessel arrivals, with total landings of 2,400 tonnes./.