Khanh Hoa (VNA) – Authorities in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa are stepping up inspection and supervision of fishing vessels entering and leaving local ports, to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The province is home to the Hon Ro Fishing Port – the largest in the region – with an average of around 200 vessel movements per day. Other key ports include Vinh Luong (Nha Trang city), Da Bac (Cam Ranh city), and Dai Lanh (Van Ninh district). Nguyen Van Ba, head of the Hon Ro Port Management Board, said the board is not only actively raising awareness among fishermen but has also implemented a range of measures to tighten control and prevent IUU fishing.
No vessel lacking valid documents, such as a fishing licence, registration, or inspection certificate, will be allowed to depart, Ba asserted.
He noted that all vessel owners must activate their vessel monitoring systems (VMS) continuously around the clock, from the moment they leave port until their return. Upon arrival, captains are required to notify port authorities at least one hour in advance so that monitoring staff can be deployed. In addition, vessels are obliged to submit complete fishing logbooks to the fisheries inspection office based at the port.
According to Le Dinh Khiem, Director of the provincial Sub-Department of Fisheries, local anti-IUU efforts have yielded encouraging results. Notably, 99.7% of local fishing vessels over 15 metres in length – 631 out of 633 – have now been equipped with VMS devices. Furthermore, the electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) system is being effectively implemented across the Hon Ro, Vinh Luong, Da Bac, and Dai Lanh ports, significantly enhancing transparency and traceability in the seafood supply chain.
He described this as a positive sign in the context of Vietnam’s ongoing efforts to have the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning on its seafood exports lifted./.
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