The People's Committee of Ca Mau province launched a peak month to combat IUU fishing and sustainably develop the Vietnamese seafood industry from now until November 15, with the requirement for the entire political system to take strong action, resolutely end the situation of fishing vessels violating foreign waters, while strengthening management, traceability and transparency of fishing activities.
The plan sets a target that by mid-November 2025, there will no longer be cases of fishing vessels losing connection to the VMS device for more than 6 hours without reporting, or losing connection for more than 10 days without bringing the vessel to shore. All fishing vessels operating must register, inspect, grant licenses and connect to the VMS system to operate continuously 24/24 hours.
The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment - the standing agency of the Provincial IUU Steering Committee - to preside over and coordinate with the Border Guard, Provincial Police and localities to review and identify all fishing vessels, strictly control the activities of leaving and arriving at ports, ensuring that all exploited aquatic products are monitored and traced through the eCDT electronic system. Connecting fishing vessel management data on the platforms VNFishbase, VMS, eCDT and VNeID, allowing tracking the entire journey of exploitation and unloading products at ports, including at private fishing ports. Localities must publicly post the list of fishing vessels that are not qualified to operate, organize monitoring of anchorage locations, and prevent illegal fishing vessels from arising. Any ship that violates regulations will be strictly handled, including loose management staff.
The Provincial People's Committee requested the Provincial People's Procuracy and the Provincial People's Court to urgently complete the dossier and bring to trial 05 cases related to IUU fishing; at the same time, direct the Provincial Police to investigate and thoroughly handle cases of fishing vessels violating foreign waters, losing VMS equipment connection, and fraud of export records.
The peak month against IUU fishing is an opportunity for Ca Mau province to strengthen its determination and affirm its efforts to strictly implement international commitments on management and conservation of aquatic resources. With the strong direction of the provincial leaders, the synchronous participation of all levels and sectors and the self-awareness of fishermen, Ca Mau hopes to contribute significantly to the country's early removal of the EC "yellow card", building a modern, transparent, sustainable and internationally integrated seafood industry.
