Combating IUU Fishing: Quang Tri transforms fishing vessels towards sustainable practices, Ha Tinh steps up monitoring efforts
WVR - Efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing continue to be intensified by localities, as Quang Tri, Ha Tinh, to promptly lift the "yellow card" from the European Commission (EC).
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Quang Tri takes concrete actions to lift IUU "Yellow Card"
The People's Committee of Quang Tri Province has recently issued a Plan to implement the Project "Transforming Certain Fishing Practices Affecting Resources and the Ecological Environment" in the province for the period 2026-2030, with a vision to 2045. The aim is to gradually restructure the fishing fleet towards sustainability and environmental friendliness.
Accordingly, in the period 2026-2030, Quang Tri aims to transform over 770 fishing vessels currently engaged in practices that pose significant risks to marine resources and the ecological environment into less impactful methods or shift them to other suitable sectors.
Specifically, Quang Tri will transform 500 fishing vessels operating in coastal areas (with vessel lengths from 6m to under 12m); 86 vessels operating in inshore areas (from 12m to under 15m); and 85 vessels operating offshore (from 15m and above). Additionally, approximately 100 fishing vessels that no longer meet operational conditions or have low exploitation efficiency are expected to be decommissioned (ceased operation, dismantled).
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| The authorities inspect at sea, Quang Tri province tightens management of fishing vessels to combat IUU fishing. (Source: Border Guard) |
The Project aims to transform fishing practices that significantly impact aquatic resources, the environment, and ecosystems into more sustainable and friendly methods. This will enhance the productivity, quality, and efficiency of the fishing fleet, ensuring 100% of fishermen transitioning to new jobs have stable employment and income. It contributes to fundamentally preventing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
To implement the Project, Quang Tri will review and classify fishing vessels engaged in trawling and gillnetting based on vessel age, size, and operational capability. This is to reduce or transition them to other practices according to a set timeline. Authorities will also strengthen control over fishing license quotas for fishing groups, strictly handling cases of unlicensed vessels or those operating outside the scope of their licenses, and tightly control the catch volume to protect aquatic resources.
Currently, Quang Tri has about 4,650 fishing vessels. The proportion of vessels using practices that risk impacting resources and the environment, such as trawling and gillnetting, exceeds 55%. Vessels under 12m operating in coastal areas account for about 70% of the province's total fishing fleet. The excessive exploitation pressure in coastal areas is causing a significant decline in aquatic resources.
The implementation of the project is crucial for restructuring the fisheries sector towards sustainability, contributing to the protection and recovery of aquatic resources, and minimizing negative impacts on the marine ecological environment. It is also a fundamental solution for stabilizing long-term livelihoods for fishermen, reducing reliance on coastal exploitation, and gradually transitioning labor to more suitable sectors such as aquaculture, fishery logistics services, or other marine economic fields.
Ha Tinh: Monitoring 100% of seafood unloaded at ports
On February 2, a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MARD) led by Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung, Deputy Director General of the Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Department, conducted an on-site inspection of the implementation of IUU fishing prevention tasks and the deployment of EC recommendations at Cua Sot Fishing Port, located in Loc Ha commune.
During the inspection, the delegation was briefed by representatives of the Management Board of Ha Tinh Fishing Ports and Storm Shelter Areas for Fishing Vessels on activities and results in implementing IUU fishing prevention tasks.
Accordingly, Ha Tinh currently has 3 fishing ports and 4 storm shelter areas for fishing vessels. Since 2025, a total of 6,935 vessel arrivals have been recorded at the ports, with 6,935 fishing logs and catch reports received; 100% of the seafood unloaded at the ports has been monitored; and all data has been fully updated into the national fisheries database system Vnfishbase and related management software.
The Management Board of Ha Tinh Fishing Ports and Storm Shelter Areas for Fishing Vessels has arranged 24/7 personnel at the ports to inspect and control fishing vessels entering and leaving the ports; receive logs and catch reports; and monitor and verify seafood volumes passing through the ports in accordance with regulations. Concurrently, related sectors and units have intensified the dissemination and guidance for fishermen on using the electronic seafood traceability software eCDT, with 3,658 export requests and 3,418 import requests processed through the system.
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| Scene of the working session between the MARD delegation and representatives of the Management Board of Ha Tinh Fishing Ports and Storm Shelter Areas for Fishing Vessels. (Source: Ha Tinh Newspaper) |
However, currently, the staff at the fishing ports is limited, having to perform multiple concurrent tasks, which somewhat affects the effectiveness of vessel inspection and control. The serious siltation of channels at the fishing ports and storm shelter areas poses challenges for inspection, control, and port entry and exit procedures. Additionally, due to the lack of personnel, arranging and deploying staff for inspection, control, and IUU fishing prevention tasks at the fishing ports face many difficulties.
During this mission, the delegation focused on inspecting documents and procedures related to the management and control of fishing vessels that are not eligible for operation; monitoring vessel activities at fishing ports and at sea through the VMS system; tracing the origin of caught seafood, fishing logs, and catch reports; vessels violating VMS regulations, crossing allowed fishing boundaries at sea, and violating foreign waters; and handling and penalizing administrative violations related to IUU fishing...
After the inspection at Cua Sot Fishing Port, the MARD delegation continued to work with the provincial IUU Steering Committee and the Ha Tinh Department of Agriculture and Environment to comprehensively evaluate IUU fishing prevention efforts, clarify existing issues, and propose solutions to address them in order to implement EC recommendations.
