Ninh Thuan (VNA) – The south-central province of Ninh Thuan is making concerted efforts to implement a comprehensive range of regulations governing fisheries, with a particular focus on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

To achieve this goal, the province is encouraging fishermen to venture out to sea while also ensuring strict adherence to national regulations and recommendations on anti-IUU fishing from the European Commission (EC).

With favourable weather and the use of advanced technologies such as fish finders and GPS tracking, many vessels in Ninh Thuan have achieved impressive catches. Major fishing ports like Dong Hai, Ninh Chu, My Tan, and Ca Na have been buzzing with activity, with boats docking to unload seafood and fishermen engaging in lively trade.

Fishermen in Ninh Thuan are enthusiastic about their harvests and the stable prices they are fetching. By the end of February, more than 14,000 tonnes of seafood was caught. Seafood items like anchovy, tuna, squid, and shrimp are being sold at prices ranging from 17,000–350,000 VND (0.67–13.71 USD) per kilogram, which is providing a healthy income boost and improving livelihoods for local communities.

To date, no violation of foreign waters has been reported among Ninh Thuan fleet, local authorities said.

One of the key measures Ninh Thuan is implementing to combat IUU fishing is the mandatory installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on fishing boats. As of now, nearly 99% of vessels at least 15 metres in length have been equipped with these devices. Authorities are also enforcing the continuous operation of the monitoring systems.

Boats that violate regulations such as those not registered, not inspected, or lacking proper fishing permits will be removed from the list of authorised vessels.

Furthermore, the province has rolled out an electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) system for seafood and has established a data-sharing mechanism between local authorities and law enforcement forces to enhance monitoring to swiftly address violations, according to Vice Chairman of the Ninh Thuan People's Committee Trinh Minh Hoang.

Meanwhile, he added, authorities are pushing ahead with intensifying public awareness campaigns to educate fishermen on the importance of complying with fisheries laws. Stringent measures are also being adopted to ensure proper documentation for fishing boats, monitoring vessel movements at fishing ports, and certifying the origin of seafood in line with traceability requirements.

The EC is about to send a delegation to Vietnam for the fifth inspection of anti-IUU fishing efforts. Vietnam has been working hard to carry out the EC’s recommendations about IUU fishing prevention and control, towards the goal of having the EC's "yellow card" warning lifted.

The EC issued a “yellow card” warning for Vietnam in this rega🌼rd in 2017. The "yellow card" is followed by a "green card" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" if it is not. A “red card” may lead to🐟 a ban on aquatic exports to the EU./.