QUẢNG NAM – Quảng Nam province in central Vietnam is ramping up its efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, aiming to have the European Commission's "yellow card" warning lifted.

In 2024, the province has fined 128 fishing vessels involved in IUU violations a total of VNĐ2.4 billion (US$96,000). While 12 vessels had their technical fishing qualifications revoked and were subsequently docked, provincial authorities are pushing for even stricter measures.

Hồ Quang Bửu, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, has urged the border guard force, fishing surveillance teams, port authorities, and local administrations to eradicate all IUU activities this year. He emphasized the need for rigorous control and management across all relevant agencies to eliminate fishing violations and promote legal fishing practices. These efforts are particularly timely as a European Commission inspection team is expected to visit the region by March to assess progress and potentially lift the "yellow card."

Bửu mandated that all fishing boats failing to comply with regulations be banned from offshore fishing and prohibited from leaving any port.

Quảng Nam province has a fleet of 2,830 fishing boats, including 618 vessels over 15 meters in length authorized for offshore operations. Over the past two years, the province has reported no instances of illegal fishing in other countries' waters, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

However, the department acknowledges that fishery ports and infrastructure are struggling to meet the growing demands of local vessels and those from neighboring provinces. Currently, only the Tam Quang fishing port is equipped to handle catch offloading, with a capacity of 21,000 tonnes of fish, representing just 23% of the province's total annual catch of approximately 91,000 tonnes.

Nguyễn Xuân Vũ, Deputy Director of the department, identified squid fishing boats as a high-risk group for IUU violations, stressing the need for close monitoring. He confirmed that the province's fishery industry is working to strengthen enforcement of all regulations and standards for fishing vessels.

Nearly all offshore fishing vessels in Quảng Nam have received certificates of origin for their catches. The industry has also implemented measures to improve the quality of seafood storage, and boats have been equipped with GPS devices and digital sea journey records detailing their fishing ground coordinates, the department reported.

At a recent conference focused on removing the EU's "yellow card" warning, the fishery industry in 28 of Vietnam's coastal provinces pledged to implement measures to combat IUU fishing. Local authorities are committed to enforcing these measures to ensure Vietnam is recognized as a reliable and responsible partner in seafood exports.