An Giang: Strict Inspections and Penalties for Fishing Violations at Sea

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According to the An Giang Department of Agriculture and Environment, since the beginning of this year, competent authorities have conducted inspections at sea under Circular 18/2022/TT-BNNPTNT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - now the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment - on procedures for patrolling, inspecting, and controlling at sea, with a total of 76 fishing vessels inspected.

Among these, 10 vessels were found with signs of violations, including operating as “three no’s” fishing vessels, breaking fishing regulations, and disconnecting their vessel monitoring systems.

Border guard officers provide fishermen with guidance materials on preventing IUU fishing (Photo: VNA)

The provincial authorities also coordinated with Fisheries Surveillance Region 5 to patrol and inspect waters in the southwestern sea, the boundary areas with Malaysia and Thailand, and the historic waters shared by Vietnam and Cambodia, inspecting 60 vessels and detecting 13 cases of violations.

Violations included failure to maintain or record fishing logbooks; captains lacking diplomas or certificates; operating without technical safety certificates; operating without original or certified copies of fishing licenses; operating without original or certified copies of vessel registration certificates; and using vessels over 24 meters in length to fish in inshore waters.

Currently, 3,603 vessels in the province are equipped with vessel monitoring systems (VMS), while 17 inactive vessels that remain ashore have had their mooring coordinates updated on Google Maps. Since the beginning of the year, authorities have recorded 13 violation cases involving 16 vessels that lost VMS signals at sea, imposing fines totaling VND 810 million.

Since early 2025, 13 fishing vessels have crossed maritime boundaries. Competent units made 11 phone calls to 9 vessel owners and captains, requesting them to return their vessels to Vietnamese waters.

Additionally, for vessels showing signs or risks of committing IUU violations - especially those fishing near maritime boundaries - since May 2025, the VMS monitoring unit has made over 6,420 calls to vessels operating near border waters, reminding and warning them to avoid IUU violations.

An Giang continues to promote awareness campaigns through multiple forms to raise fishermen’s understanding of IUU prevention and legal compliance in fishing activities. The province has also organized mock trials on IUU violations to raise awareness, encourage fishermen to participate in monitoring, and enhance cooperation with authorities in combating IUU.

Meanwhile, inspections and patrols are being intensified, with strict monitoring of “three no’s” vessels, high-risk vessels for IUU, and vessels fishing near foreign maritime boundaries.

An Giang is implementing strong and serious measures to meet the recommendations of the European Commission (EC), contributing to the removal of the “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood and improving its reputation in international markets.

By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 fishing vessels in the province had been registered and updated into the National Fishing Vessel Database (VnFishbase), including 3,620 vessels with a length of 15 meters or more. Total seafood catch reached over 246,000 tons, fulfilling 58.26% of the annual plan and increasing 17.38% year-on-year.

However, in the early months of 2025, An Giang’s marine fishing activities faced many difficulties. Fishery resources in fishing grounds are increasingly depleted, leading to low catch efficiency; fishermen have suffered from unfavorable weather conditions, labor shortages for offshore fishing, and other challenges.

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan, stated that the province is restructuring its fishing industry by reducing the number of inshore vessels, banning trawling, electric pulse fishing, and explosives, and encouraging the use of purse seines, handlines, and traps, which are more environmentally friendly and help regenerate marine resources.

The province is also carrying out a project to investigate and zone fishing grounds, aiming to allocate vessels more appropriately by area. At the same time, it encourages high-tech marine aquaculture, supporting fishermen in transitioning to modern aquaculture to reduce fishing pressure and increase economic efficiency.

In addition, provincial authorities are closely monitoring weather patterns, fishery resources, fishing grounds, and seasons to provide timely information for fishermen to improve efficiency.

The province also continues to organize cooperative fishing by groups and teams, supporting each other in logistics, weather and fishing ground updates, and maintaining long-term offshore operations to ensure safe fishing at sea while preventing illegal fishing in foreign waters.

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