Thanh Hoa province completes full digitisation of its fishing fleet

Thanh Hoa Province in central Vietnam has entered 100% of its registered fishing vessels into the national fisheries database (Vnfishbase) and synchronized the data with the VNeID digital identification platform. In the first seven months of 2026, vessels that lost connection to the vessel‑monitoring system (VMS) fell by 96% compared with the same period in 2025. Of the 107 vessels that lost VMS contact, 71 have been verified: 16 were fined a total of 577.5 million VND (about US 22 000) for prolonged loss of signal, 55 were recorded and closed without penalty, and the remaining 36 are still under investigation.

The province also plans to dismantle 20 vessels, allocating a support budget of 3.8 billion VND (US 146 000). Additional measures include subsidies to help fishers cope with natural‑disaster risks, modernise or replace VMS equipment, shift to alternative livelihoods and retire unprofitable boats. To meet upcoming European Commission inspections, Thanh Hoa has upgraded port infrastructure, improved traceability and pursued broader modernisation of the fishing sector, aiming to remove the EU’s yellow‑card warning on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

These actions form part of Vietnam’s wider effort to strengthen digital capabilities for fisheries management and comply with EU recommendations.