Fine up to 1 billion VND for illegal fishing

The Lao Dong Newspaper Legal Consulting Office replied:

Clause 3, Article 4, Decree 301/2025/ND-CP (effective from November 17, 2025) stipulates amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 38/2024/ND-CP regulating administrative sanctions in the fisheries sector as follows:

3. Fine from 800 million VND to 1 billion VND for fishing boat owners who violate one of the following acts:

a) Using fishing vessels with a length of 24 meters or more to exploit aquatic products at sea without an expired aquatic product exploitation license or a license;

b) Exploiting aquatic products in the waters of other countries, territories or waters under the management of a regional fisheries organization without an expired aquatic product exploitation license or an expired aquatic product exploitation license or without an approval or approval certificate;

c) Using foreign fishing vessels operating in Vietnamese waters without an expired aquatic product exploitation license or fishing license;

d) Using fishing vessels that are not nationals or have the nationality of a non-member country to illegally exploit aquatic products in waters under the management of a regional fisheries organization;

d) Using fishing vessels to exploit aquatic products not in accordance with regulations on exploitation and protection of aquatic resources in international waters not under the management of a regional fisheries organization;

e) Exploitation of aquatic products not in accordance with regulations in the sea area under the management of the Regional Fisheries Organization;

g) Hiding, forging or canceling evidence of violations of regulations on exploitation and protection of aquatic resources in case of recidivism;

h) Excessive exploitation of aquatic products licensed by the regional fisheries organization in case of recidivism.

Thus, the highest penalty for re-offending fishing exceeding the limit licensed by the Fisheries Organization in the area can be up to 1 billion VND.