Vietnam intensifies crackdown on illegal IUU fishing

Vietnam is intensifying efforts to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing across several provinces. During a peak enforcement month from August 15 to September 15, Coast Guard Region 4 monitored nearly 700 fishing vessels and 4,500 crew members. Authorities issued reminders to over 200 vessels that had lost Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) signals and arrested two vessels for the illegal transport of four VMS devices belonging to other boats.

In Vinh Long province, officials reported that while 93.75% of assigned tasks to combat IUU fishing have been completed, challenges remain. Out of 4,550 managed vessels, 75 have expired fishing licenses, 103 have expired inspections, and 88 lack food safety certification. Between January and August 2026, authorities detected 286 instances of VMS connection loss lasting between six hours and ten days.

Other regions, including Quang Ninh and Lam Dong, are also implementing stricter measures, such as cracking down on illegal vessel modifications and increasing awareness campaigns among fishermen to ensure compliance with maritime regulations.