Vietnamese law requires fishing vessels to be properly registered, inspected, and licensed, with approved fishing methods and grounds clearly specified.
Vessels must also meet safety standards, carry lifesaving and firefighting equipment, install vessel monitoring systems (VMS), and maintain accurate fishing logs. Use of explosives, electric shock devices, toxic chemicals or banned fishing gear is prohibited.
Rising non-compliance
Despite the regulations, violations remain widespread. In Tân Phụng 1 hamlet, 11 vessels were found using land-based engines instead of marine-approved engines.
Local officials said the switch, made decades ago, was driven by cost pressures and the desire for more powerful motors, as marine engines are priced at VND 300-400 million.
Other vessels have illegally converted from handline or purse seine fishing to trawling, resulting in license renewals being denied. Some attempts at re-registration have also been rejected due to quota restrictions.
According to the Phu My Dong Commune People’s Committee, current violations include: one vessel unregistered and uninspected, 21 operating with land-based engines, 37 without fishing licenses, 90 with expired licenses, 14 without VMS devices and three with pending VMS ownership transfers.
Strict enforcement measures
The commune has ordered non-compliant vessels to decommission in line with provincial policy, prohibiting them from fishing or keeping gear on board.
Local authorities are coordinating with the sub-Department of Fisheries, police, border guards, and inspectors to assist owners with inspections and license applications. Mobile support teams have also been dispatched to guide fishermen through the process.
For vessels lacking VMS devices, authorities are enforcing docking requirements, updating provincial agencies with time, location, and images, and concentrating boats in designated areas to prevent unauthorized fishing.
Vessels anchored outside the province are being reported to higher authorities, with requests for inter-provincial cooperation to block illegal operations.
Nguyễn Ngọc Hạnh, Vice Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee, urged faster implementation of provincial decommissioning policies to strengthen compliance.
“The local government is making every effort and hopes for the cooperation of relevant agencies. In particular, the province needs to quickly implement decommissioning policies to make advocacy and persuasion of vessel owners more effective,” he said.
