Hai Phong Tightens Fleet Management, Determined to Join Nationwide Efforts to Remove the EC’s IUU “Yellow Card”

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This information was shared by Vu Ba Cong, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Agriculture and Environment, at the information briefing and press conference for December 2025. According to him, Hai Phong is currently managing 788 fishing vessels with a length of 6 meters or more. Of these, 274 key offshore fishing vessels (15 meters and above) have been equipped with VMS, achieving a 100% compliance rate as required.

Vu Ba Cong, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Agriculture and Environment, shares information on IUU fishing prevention. (Photo: Agriculture and Environment Newspaper)

One of Hai Phong’s most notable breakthroughs in 2025 is the standardization and transparency of fishing vessel data. All fishing vessel information across the city has been cross-checked through the VNeID application and simultaneously updated to the National Fisheries Management Software System (VN-Fishbase).

“Data cleansing enables authorities to closely monitor changes in the fleet, eliminate the situation of ‘three-no’ fishing vessels, and establish a reliable database to serve inspection and audit missions by the European Commission (EC),” Vu Ba Cong emphasized.

As a locality with a dense system of seaports, waterways, and vibrant inland waterway traffic, Hai Phong views the fight against IUU fishing not only as a requirement from the EC but also as a prerequisite for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector and for enhancing Viet Nam’s credibility in the international market.

Implementing the Prime Minister’s directive on a peak month for combating IUU fishing, Hai Phong has consolidated its Steering Committees from the city level down to coastal wards and communes, and has maintained Fisheries Control Representative Offices operating 24/7 to promptly detect and handle violations from within shore areas.

To date, 100% of cases involving fishing vessels losing VMS connectivity at sea have been verified and handled, and no Hai Phong fishing vessels have been recorded as violating foreign waters during patrol and inspection operations.

Notably, fishermen’s compliance with the law has shown clear improvements. From a previously reactive approach, many vessel owners have proactively maintained fishing logbooks, fully reported port departures and arrivals, and ensured continuous 24/7 operation of VMS equipment while operating at sea.

100% of eligible fishing vessels in Hai Phong have been issued fishing licenses. (Photo: Agriculture and Environment Newspaper)

In response to increasingly stringent requirements in the process of removing the “yellow card,” Hai Phong continues to implement more decisive management measures. The city has reviewed and compiled detailed lists of idle fishing vessels -those not eligible for operation due to the lack of inspection certification or VMS installation.

These lists have been directly assigned to commune- and village-level officials for monitoring, with measures such as sealing, locking vessels, or arranging mooring, in order to prevent fishing vessels from secretly going to sea.

At the same time, Hai Phong is developing a vocational transition scheme for fishermen, aiming to gradually reduce the number of fishing vessels, lower fishing intensity, protect aquatic resources, and open up new livelihoods associated with aquaculture and marine services.

The city has also implemented policies to support the upgrading and replacement of VMS equipment in line with new technical standards stipulated in Decree No. 37/2024, while intensifying communication on regulations regarding criminal liability for acts of brokering or organizing fishing vessels to violate foreign waters.

In the coming period, Hai Phong will step up peak patrols at river mouths, sea entrances, and spontaneous fishing wharves. Fishing vessels that fail to mark identification, do not display registration numbers, or deliberately disconnect VMS will be sanctioned under the highest penalty framework, underscoring the city’s determination to work alongside the whole country to soon have the EC’s “yellow card” lifted.

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