Combating IUU Fishing: Nghe An advances digitalisation; Hue supports fishermen in decommissioning “three-no” fishing vessels
WVR - As two coastal localities in Central Vietnam with a significant number of fishing vessels operating in both distant and nearshore waters, Hue City and Nghe An Province are striving to implement measures to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
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Hue City provides up to 60 million VND per vessel for decommissioning
Hue City is among the coastal provinces in Central Vietnam with a large number of fishing vessels engaged in distant and nearshore fishing. After a long period of operation, many fishing vessels owned by local fishermen in Hue have deteriorated, expired registration, and lack necessary documentation, thus being listed as "three -no" (no registration, no inspection, no license) vessels.
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| Officers from Thuan An Ward Police (Hue City) inspect information and educate fishermen on compliant fishing practices. (Source: People's Police Newspaper) |
Recently, local authorities, police forces, and border guards stationed in coastal communes have been actively inspecting, reviewing, and strictly handling cases of "three-no" fishing vessels that intentionally violate fishing regulations. To end the violations by "three-no" vessels and contribute to lifting the IUU yellow card, Hue City has implemented various plans and solutions, including supporting fishermen in decommissioning these vessels and transitioning their livelihoods.
For "three-no" vessels, Hue City has policies to support fishermen in changing professions and decommissioning vessels that are not needed for fishing activities, as stipulated in Resolution No. 41/2025/NQ-HDND by the Hue City People's Council.
Specifically, Hue City will support the decommissioning of vessels that do not meet the conditions for registration or fishing permits according to legal regulations, and these vessels must not have ownership disputes, be mortgaged at credit institutions, or be subject to enforcement actions.
Accordingly, for the hull of the fishing vessel, Hue City supports 19.07 million VND per ton, up to a maximum of 60 million VND per vessel; for registered engines, support is 845,000 VND per CV, up to a maximum of 60 million VND per vessel; for unregistered engines, support is 591,500 VND per CV, up to a maximum of 40 million VND per vessel. Additionally, Hue City will provide a one-time support of 1.8 million VND per person for members of the vessel owner's household who are not of working age to stabilize their lives and support demolition costs of 10 million VND per vessel.
Alongside the decommissioning policy for "three-no" vessels, Hue City also focuses on supporting fishermen in changing professions. Those participating in the career transition must have permanent residence in Hue, be confirmed to have worked on the decommissioned vessel, and commit not to continue fishing activities after decommissioning. Vessel owners and crew members are also supported with vocational training costs for up to 6 months, receiving 100% tuition and study materials, with a maximum of 2.3 million VND per month.
Fishermen proactively embrace digital technology in fishing
Amidst the bustling labour of early-year fishing trips, alongside maintaining their fishing grounds, Nghe An fishermen are quietly embarking on a significant "innovation" by integrating digital technology into fishing activities. Transitioning from manual record-keeping, many vessel owners have shifted to managing journeys, catch volumes, and port entry and exit procedures via smartphones, paving a new path for the local fishing industry.
As an area with a large offshore fishing fleet, many coastal localities in Nghe An have simultaneously implemented the eCDT VN application for vessel owners. The software application helps fishermen significantly reduce the time for procedures, minimize cumbersome paperwork, and facilitate management agencies in monitoring and inspecting fishing activities at sea.
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| The eCDT VN application enhances transparency in Nghệ An's fishing industry. (Source: Nghe An Newspaper) |
According to the Nghe An Fishing Port Management Board, after nearly a year of implementation, most fishing vessels over 12 meters in length have been issued accounts and are conducting electronic declarations. Thousands of vessel departures and arrivals, along with tens of thousands of tons of seafood, have been updated and managed through the digital data system, contributing to increased accuracy and transparency in fishing operations.
The application of eCDT VN not only provides convenience for fishermen but also holds strategic significance in efforts to combat IUU fishing. Real-time data updates enable authorities such as the Fisheries Sub-Department, Border Guard, and Fishing Port Management Board to closely monitor the process from departure, fishing at sea, to port arrival.
The process of verifying and certifying the origin of seafood is thus significantly shortened, reducing administrative pressure for both fishermen and management agencies. More importantly, all information is digitized, public, and controlled, laying the foundation for Nghe An's fisheries sector to gradually meet the stringent requirements of international markets.
As the deadline for lifting the European Commission's (EC) "yellow card" approaches, these seemingly small electronic actions carry great significance. Through persistent learning and changing production habits, Nghệ An fishermen are contributing to modernizing the fishing industry, aiming for more efficient, transparent, and sustainable exploitation in the future.
