Fisheries

Binh Dinh steps up fight against IUU fishing

Binh Dinh province is emerging as one of Vietnam’s leading localities in verifying seafood traceability, part of national efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Behind the official figures is the daily work and discipline of local fishermen.

Documenting every catch

At dawn in Quy Nhon fishing port, crew members unload crates of freshly caught fish from the hold. On deck, Captain Huynh Chanh Thi carefully records time, date, coordinates and catch volumes in his notebook. A veteran skipper from Hoai Huong (Hoai Nhon town), Thi is known for his commitment to traceability and IUU prevention.

After nearly a month at sea, his vessel BD 99007 TS returned with over 30 tonnes of skipjack tuna. But despite the solid catch, he was not satisfied. “Prices are too low, this trip only breaks even,” he said.

What sets him apart is his meticulous logbook. Upon arrival, port officer Tran Dang Phuc Vu checked his records. “Impressive – the logged catch almost perfectly matches the actual tally,” Vu noted.

Thi has earned a reputation for accurate reporting. He has followed logbook rules strictly for years. “Before casting nets, I check the clock and note the location and time. After each haul, I record it. Even a drift of ten nautical miles matters,” he explained.

It is demanding work, but with 35 years of experience, Thi can estimate catch weight with high accuracy. “We used to just dump fish into iced holds and I could still guess the tonnage. Now each crate weighs about 10 kg – 100 crates is a tonne,” he said.

Addressing IUU challenges

Since early 2025, Binh Dinh ports and the provincial fisheries sub-department have verified traceability for 133 dossiers (2,576 tonnes) and issued certifications for 60 shipments (over 1,568 tonnes) with no rejections. These figures highlight local efforts to increase supply chain transparency, though implementation remains challenging.

Central to this progress is the fishermen’s understanding of the need for transparency. Each fish landed, every net’s coordinates, and each sale receipt is evidence that the catch is legal and acceptable in international markets.

“If our fish is caught legally in licensed waters, we need to prove it, just like clean vegetables need certification,” Thi said. “It’s not just about weathering storms. Keeping a careful logbook protects our livelihood.”

Dao Xuan Thien, Director of the Binh Dinh Fishing Port Management Board, said fishers’ awareness of IUU regulations has improved significantly. “100% of vessels now voluntarily present logbooks and cooperate with checks,” he said.

But challenges remain. EU rules require one inspector per vessel entering port. “If 30 vessels arrive in one night, where do we find 30 inspectors?” Thien asked. The province’s solution is to coordinate so that one inspector can supervise 5-7 vessels at once, maintaining oversight despite limited staff.

Budget constraints also pose difficulties. The traceability verification fee is capped at 700,000 VND (about USD 28) per shipment, with 150,000 VND (around USD 6) for administrative costs. In 2024, Quy Nhon Port collected about 200 million VND (around USD 8,000) in fees, but labor costs for 24-hour supervision at two ports totaled at least 500 million VND (about USD 20,000). “The province still has to cover several hundred million dong annually to keep this going,” Thien said.

Building trust for export markets

Without clear origins and proper documentation, local catches will not meet export requirements. From the ship’s hold to the port inspector’s desk, the entire chain of transparency is essential for Binh Dinh’s fishing industry to meet international standards.

Despite manpower shortages, limited budgets, and pressures at sea, Binh Dinh is working to lead Vietnam’s fight against IUU fishing, helping ensure that every boat returning to port delivers not just fish but the documentation and compliance needed to secure access to foreign markets.

VFM

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Back to top button