Khanh Hoa (VNA) – The south centralprovince of Khanh Hoa has been taking comprehensive measures to tighten control over fishing vessels as part of its efforts to combat illegal, reported, andunregulated (IUU) fishing.

Local authorities have promoted examination of vessel papers and logbooks atfishery ports, considering this an effective way for preventing IUU fishing.

PhamVan Quang, a vessel captain in Phuoc Dong commune of Nha Trang city, said hisship has seriously complied with declaration, logbook, and monitoring system rules.Fishing trips have been carefully recorded in logbooks with details about eachtype of fish, catches, and areas where seafood is harvested.

Tran Quoc Hoan, a vessel owner in Nha Trang city, noted fishermen like him always adhere to the State’sregulations on declaration and vessel monitoring system installation andoperation.

Onehour before a ship arrives at a port, its owner or captain has to informauthorities at that port about their arrival. After docking, the owner orcaptain has to produce its papers and logbook so that authorities examine andverify information and the caught volume, he added.

As vessels often change their fishinggrounds and operate in faraway waters, which causes difficulties for vesselmanagement and violation settlement, stringently managing fishing fleets is oneof the important recommendations from the European Commission (EC) for Vietnam in combating IUU fishing.

Asof February 2024, Khanh Hoa had 124 vessels frequently operating outside itssea area and in faraway fishing grounds. Authorities sent the list of theseships to other provinces to ensure effective management.

Nguyen Van Ba, head of the Hon Rofishery port management board, said to prevent vessels’ infringement offoreign waters, Khanh Hoa has also properly stepped up communications, he said, adding that the management board has coordinated with the representativeoffice of fishery inspection, examination, and control at ports and the borderguard force to carry out this work.

As a result, fishermen’s awarenesshas improved as seen in their full and voluntary declaration of informationbefore and after each fishing trip. In particular, they have gained betterunderstanding of the 2017 Law on Fisheries.

Vietnam has been working hard to carry outthe EC’s recommendations about IUU fishing prevention and control, towards thegoal of having the EC's “yellow card” warning lifted.

The EC issued a “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood in 2017. The "yellow card" is followed by a"green card" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" ifit is not. A “red card” may lead to a ban on aquatic product exports to the EU./.