An Giang (VNA) –♏ Authorities in southern An Giang province are tightening inspections and enforcement at sea as part of Vietnam’s efforts to remove the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood products regarding illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, local forces have conducted regular patrols at sea, inspecting 76 fishing vessels since the beginning of 2025. Of these, ten were found operating without proper registration, breaking fishing rules, or disconnecting their vessel monitoring system (VMS). An Giang has also worked closely with the Region 5 Fisheries Surveillance Division to monitor the southwest sea area, including waters bordering Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia. Joint teams inspected 60 vessels and detected 13 cases of violations, such as the absence of fishing logbooks and licenses to captains without valid certificates or vessels operating without safety permits. So far this year, 3,603 local vessels have been equipped with VMS, while 17 inactive boats have had their mooring coordinates updated on Google Maps. Authorities recorded 16 cases of vessels losing VMS signals, resulting in fines of over 810 million VND (over 30,800 USD). In addition, 13 boats were detected crossing maritime boundaries, prompting officials to contact captains and order them back into Vietnamese waters. Since May, more than 6,400 calls have been made to vessels operating near foreign waters to remind them to avoid engaging in IUU fishing activities. The province is also stepping up awareness campaigns. Fishermen are being educated through multiple channels, including mock trials that simulate penalties for IUU violations, to encourage voluntary compliance and cooperation with enforcement agencies. At the same time, An Giang is restructuring its fishing industry by reducing nearshore operations and banning destructive practices such as trawling, electric fishing, and explosives. Instead, the province is promoting more sustainable methods like purse seining, longlining, and cage trapping. It is also conducting surveys to better allocate fishing effort by area, while encouraging high-tech marine aquaculture to reduce pressure on wild fish stocks. By the end of July, more than 10,000 vessels in An Giang had been registered in the national fisheries database, with offshore catch reaching 246,000 tonnes, up 17.3% year-on-year. Despite challenges from declining fishery resources, bad weather, and labour shortages, provincial leaders remain committed to strict enforcement of EC recommendations. Le Huu Toan, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, said that the province is restructuring its fisheries to protect marine resources and support fishermen’s livelihoods./.