Quang Ninh licenses nearly 4,000 fishing vessels in effort to curb illegal practices
Authorities in Quang Ninh Province have licensed nearly 4,000 fishing boats measuring 6 meters or longer, covering over 92% of vessels required to be registered under current regulations, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment.
Out of Quang Ninh’s total fleet of 6,217 fishing boats, around 1,900 are smaller vessels under 6 meters managed at the commune level. More than 3,500 vessels fall into the 6 – 12 meter range under district supervision, and nearly 750 larger boats exceeding 12 meters are overseen at the provincial level.
Since all boats measuring 6 meters or more must be licensed, local officials have worked to close a long-standing gap where hundreds of boats operated without proper registration. As of July 2024, over 1,400 boats had yet to be officially recorded, making them ineligible for fishing permits.
To qualify for a fishing license, boats must meet stringent requirements: they must fish within assigned quotas, avoid banned fishing methods, meet technical safety standards, be equipped with proper tracking and communications gear, hold valid registration documents, and have certified captains and engineers.
The licensing push comes as part of a broader strategy to enforce the Fisheries Law, which aims to promote sustainable fishing, safeguard marine resources, and clamp down on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
As part of this initiative, Quang Ninh has allocated 4,219 fishing licenses across two main zones, including 3,577 for inshore operations and 642 for nearshore fishing activities.
VFM
