Dak Lak takes decisive action against IUU fishing, with “no exemptions” in tightening control over the fishing fleet
WVR - Nguyen Thien Van, Vice Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, stated that the provincial administration has urgently directed departments, sectors, and localities to implement tasks with seriousness, responsibility, and "no exemptions" following Announcement No. 718/TB-VPCP.
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| Vice Chairman Nguyen Thien Van inspects Phu Lac fishing port. (Source: daklak.gov.vn) |
In response to directives from the Government and the National Steering Committee on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Dak Lak province has implemented comprehensive and decisive measures, achieving significant results that contribute to the national effort to lift the European Commission (EC)'s "Yellow Card".
Vice Chairman Nguyen Thien Van affirmed that in the coming period, Dak Lak province will continue to strictly follow central directives. The province aims to effectively manage 100% of its fishing fleet, closely monitor fishing activities, especially offshore operations near boundary limits, strictly handle all IUU violations, and ensure 100% of exported seafood batches have legal and transparent origins.
The entire political system of Dak Lak is committed and united in its efforts to lift the EC's "Yellow Card" as soon as possible.
Announcement No. 718/TB-VPCP dated December 26, 2025, from the Government Office regarding the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the 27th meeting of the National Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing, requires localities to report on implementation status, especially in handling violations such as loss of Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) connection or crossing permitted boundaries.
Strict management of fishing fleet, addressing "Three No's" vessels
The province focuses on effectively implementing four key task groups: imposing administrative penalties in the fisheries sector; strictly managing "Three No's" vessels (unregistered, uninspected, unlicensed) and those not meeting operational conditions; handling serious violations, including criminal prosecution; and controlling, preventing commercial fraud in seafood exports to Europe.
Currently, the province has 2,565 fishing vessels, all updated in the national fisheries database VnFishbase. Registration, inspection, and licensing are conducted in accordance with regulations. Only 13 vessels lack valid licenses due to objective reasons such as serving sentences, accidents at sea, modifications, or being affected by storms. These vessels are listed and closely monitored by local authorities, anchored at ports, and not allowed to engage in fishing.
For "Three No's" vessels, the province has issued 1,113 out of 1,114 registration certificates, achieving a rate of 99.9%. Only one vessel is severely damaged, sunk, and no longer operational, and is strictly managed.
Additionally, the process of deregistering fishing vessels is carried out seriously. From 2024 to 2025, the province deregistered 663 vessels due to damage, decommissioning, sinking, being sold outside the province, or missing. The deregistration list is publicly announced in the national fisheries database and notified to relevant localities and units nationwide for coordinated control.
Criminal prosecution for vessel owners fishing in foreign waters
Alongside management efforts, Dak Lak province intensifies inspections and strict handling of administrative violations in the fisheries sector. From January 1, 2024, to December 30, 2025, authorities fined 114 violation cases, totaling over 1.53 billion VND. Among these, 25 cases involved VMS-related violations, with fines amounting to 606 million VND.
Common violations detected and addressed include: not displaying vessel registration numbers; lacking safety equipment; absence of captain or chief engineer certificates; using unregistered, uninspected vessels, or expired documents; failing to submit fishing logs; not docking at designated ports; possessing or using prohibited fishing gear; using electric shock devices; fishing in unauthorized areas or routes.
For cases indicating VMS disconnection or boundary crossing violations, the province has thoroughly reviewed and categorized them. Dak Lak identified 315 cases with administrative violation signs related to VMS disconnection and boundary crossing at sea; 25 cases were penalized for VMS disconnection over six hours; 290 cases were closed due to objective, unavoidable reasons like technical equipment failures, bad weather, machinery breakdowns, or sea accidents.
From 2019 to April 2025, Phu Yen (now Dak Lak) had no fishing vessels violating foreign waters that were detained, criminally prosecuted, or involved in serious IUU violations requiring domestic criminal prosecution. However, in May 2025, the fishing vessel PY 96896 TS/5 fishermen were detained and fined by the Philippines for fishing in Philippine waters.
Provincial authorities have agreed on a plan to consider criminal prosecution for the captain of vessel PY 96896 TS for violating foreign waters; the case has been transferred to the provincial police for investigation, verification, and criminal prosecution of the captain, demonstrating a firm stance against covering up or tolerating IUU violations.
Tight control over traceability of exported seafood batches
According to the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, the control and verification of seafood origin for export, especially to the European market, is a key focus. Currently, Dak Lak has four fishing ports eligible to verify seafood origin for offshore vessels.
In 2025, over 11,800 fishing vessel entries and exits were recorded via the eCDT software, with a declared output of over 11,200 tons. The province issued 140 origin verification certificates (SC) and 114 certificates of compliance (CC), primarily serving exports to the EU market.
Since 2024, no seafood batches from the province have violated traceability regulations or engaged in commercial fraud when exporting to Europe. However, following government directives, the province is still coordinating with authorities to investigate and review issues related to seafood origin verification from previous periods, ensuring strict handling if violations are detected.
