HCMC – The central province of Quang Binh has announced that fishing and fishing logistics boats with vessel monitoring system (VMS) interruptions lasting six hours or longer will face administrative penalties.
This measure is in preparation for the European Commission (EC)’s inspection next month, as part of Quang Binh Province’s efforts to tackle issues related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The province has directed the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to monitor fishing boat data, including the volume of fishery products loaded through ports, fishing routes, transshipment activities, and inspections via the VMS.
The Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is required to maintain a round-the-clock watch to supervise active fishing boats, identify those with a disconnected VMS, and detect any boundary violations. Fishing boats with VMS disruptions for six hours or longer or those operating beyond designated boundaries will incur fines for administrative violations.
Since early August, the neighboring province of Quang Tri has also intensified its efforts against IUU fishing and violations in near-shore areas, including preventing fishing activities in the Con Co Marine Protected Area.
