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The Dong Thap Provincial People’s Committee has issued an official dispatch requesting relevant departments, sectors and localities to continue effectively implementing tasks to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the province.

Accordingly, the Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People’s Committee requested heads of agencies, units and localities to continue thoroughly grasping the viewpoints and directives of the Prime Minister on IUU fishing prevention and control, and to seriously and resolutely implement resolutions, conclusions, official dispatches and directives of the Government and the Prime Minister, especially the action plan for the peak month against IUU fishing.

The Dong Thap Provincial Border Guard inspects the operation of the fishing vessel monitoring system. (Photo: Cong Tri/VNA).

Specifically, the Department of Agriculture and Environment (the standing body of the provincial IUU Steering Committee) is to focus on classifying fishing vessels that are ineligible for licensing and those with expired inspection certificates; urgently review, guide, and carry out inspections and issue fishing licenses for eligible vessels when there is demand for fishing activities.

On a weekly basis, lists of fishing vessels that are ineligible for operation are to be compiled and sent to localities and functional forces to implement strict control measures, ensuring that ineligible vessels do not participate in fishing activities.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment is to review dossiers and strictly comply with regulations on deregistration of fishing vessels, clearly identify the status of vessels that have been deregistered or dismantled in accordance with regulations, ensuring they no longer engage in fishing activities; review registered and licensed vessels to ensure they are properly marked and display vessel identification numbers in accordance with regulations.

The Department is to direct fishing ports and fisheries inspection and control offices at ports to coordinate with the Border Guard to strictly implement regulations on controlling 100% of fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, and monitoring 100% of seafood landings through ports.

All fishing vessels of 6 meters or longer, especially those 15 meters or longer engaged in fishing activities, must enter and leave ports and unload catches at fishing ports at a rate of 100%; inspections, supervision and strict handling of vessels showing signs of IUU violations must be conducted in accordance with regulations. It must be ensured that 100% of vessels of 15 meters or longer, and gradually vessels of 6 meters or longer, carry out port entry and exit declarations on the eCDT system.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment is to coordinate with the Border Guard and Police to maximize resources to investigate, verify, consolidate dossiers and completely handle 100% of cases involving fishing vessels losing VMS connection, crossing permitted fishing boundaries at sea, or violating foreign waters; ensure enforcement of sanctioning decisions and payment of fines in accordance with regulations. It must resolutely prevent and not allow the emergence of additional local fishing vessels violating illegal fishing in foreign waters.

In addition, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is to organize inspection teams and resolutely handle responsibilities of organizations and individuals who fail to fulfill assigned duties, affecting national efforts to remove the IUU “yellow card” warning.

The Provincial Military Command is to continue concentrating resources for Border Guard stations and posts to strictly control fishing vessels, ensuring that vessels departing through Border Guard stations to engage in fishing activities must have port departure confirmation from fishing ports; vessels arriving through Border Guard stations must be notified to fishing ports, commune police and grassroots authorities for control and strict handling if they do not enter ports to unload catches in accordance with regulations (including vessels arriving without seafood).

The Vam Lang Border Guard control station disseminates information on IUU fishing prevention and presents national flags to captains and fishermen. (Photo: Cong Tri/VNA).

At the same time, fishing vessels that are ineligible for operation must absolutely not be allowed to participate in fishing activities, and responsibility must be handled if violations occur. The Tan Thanh and Phu Tan Border Guard stations are tasked with receiving and collecting fishing logbooks from vessels with lengths from 6 meters to under 12 meters, and coordinating with the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the provincial Police to completely handle IUU fishing violation cases.

The provincial Police are to urgently investigate and collect dossiers, documents and evidence to criminally handle organizations and individuals committing serious IUU fishing violations in accordance with the law. They are to advise on the prosecution and trial of cases related to sending fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally fish in foreign waters, sending and transporting VMS equipment, in accordance with Resolution No. 04/2024/NQ-HDTP of the Council of Judges of the Supreme People’s Court, to create deterrence and education within coastal communities. The provincial Police are to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Border Guard to investigate, verify, consolidate dossiers and completely handle 100% of cases involving fishing vessels losing VMS connection, crossing permitted fishing boundaries at sea, or violating foreign waters.

The provincial Police are to direct commune and ward police to take the lead in coordination with the Border Guard to resolutely prevent and not allow new cases of fishing vessels violating illegal fishing in foreign waters. Strict control of each vessel owner and fishing vessel must be carried out, ensuring that ineligible vessels do not participate in fishing activities.

The Provincial People’s Committee also requires People’s Committees of communes and wards with fishing vessels to continue implementing measures to tightly manage ineligible vessels and high-risk vessels, preventing violations early and from afar, right from onshore. It is necessary to resolutely prevent local fishing vessels and fishermen from violating illegal fishing in foreign waters or crossing permitted fishing boundaries at sea. At the same time, legal regulations on IUU fishing prevention and control must be disseminated to fishing communities and related organizations and individuals.

For fishing vessels that are ineligible for operation, detailed lists must be made and assigned to each hamlet, commune or neighborhood official to monitor, control and supervise regular mooring positions (including images and specific mooring locations), with weekly supervision, reporting and updates; lists must be publicly posted in communities, vessels sealed, and fishing gear and equipment removed, ensuring these vessels do not participate in fishing activities.

People’s Committees of communes are to assign civil servants to regularly coordinate with the Border Guard, Police and fishing ports to inspect and supervise vessels entering and leaving ports, monitor landings at fishing ports in accordance with regulations, and strictly handle administrative violations within their authority under Government Decree No. 301/2025/ND-CP dated November 17, 2025.

According to the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Environment, the province has a total of 1,507 fishing vessels, with 9,590 crew members working directly on board. Dong Thap has 902 out of 902 operating fishing vessels equipped with vessel monitoring systems, achieving a rate of 100%.

The province ensures that 100% of fishing vessel port entry and exit activities are carried out on the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT), and 100% of receipt issuance dossiers are processed on the eCDT system.

To date, fishing ports have recorded 6,658 instances of fishing vessels departing from and arriving at ports on the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT).

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