Denmark commends Vietnam’s fisheries monitoring system in IUU fishing prevention efforts
Michael Aastrup Jensen, Chairman of the Danish Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee, has expressed high appreciation for Vietnam’s vessel monitoring system and the quality of its seafood products.
During a working visit to Vietnam on March 4, a delegation from the Danish Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee, led by Chairman Michael Aastrup Jensen, visited Thuan An Fishing Port in Hue City. The delegation also held discussions at the port management office to gain insights into Vietnam’s measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
At the meeting, members of the delegation observed the real-time locations of Hue’s fishing vessels operating at sea through the monitoring system managed by the Directorate of Fisheries and the Fisheries Surveillance Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
According to the Hue City Fishing Port Management Board, 437 offshore fishing vessels in the locality have been equipped with vessel monitoring system (VMS) devices. Authorities are currently working on integrating fisheries management data from the National Fisheries Database System (VNFishbase) and VMS tracking information into the Hue-S Smart Urban Services platform.
The city is also reinforcing its efforts to document and track fishing vessel movements monthly, ensuring precise records of boats docking at both local and external ports.
By monitoring vessels via coastal station systems, authorities can detect boats at risk of crossing territorial boundaries in the Gulf of Tonkin and promptly instruct them to return to Vietnamese waters.
Additionally, relevant agencies have issued warnings to captains regarding VMS connectivity issues and have sent alerts about high-risk IUU violations to relevant authorities for coordinated enforcement.
The Danish delegation raised questions about how Hue authorities handle local fishing vessels violating foreign waters, the presence of foreign boats illegally fishing in Vietnamese waters, and the decline in offshore seafood catches.
Nguyen Thanh Phat, Chairman of the Vinh Thanh Commune Fisheries Association (Phu Vang District, Hue City), highlighted that thanks to strict monitoring by authorities and severe legal penalties, fishermen’s awareness of IUU fishing regulations has significantly improved.
However, some challenges persist, such as technical malfunctions of VMS devices due to prolonged exposure to saltwater, signal disruptions caused by network providers, and instances where vessels must return before completing their offshore fishing trips, impacting their earnings.
Fishermen hope that the European Commission (EC) will soon lift the yellow card on Vietnam’s seafood exports, facilitating better market access and improving their livelihoods.
Michael Aastrup Jensen reaffirmed Denmark’s recognition of Vietnam’s vessel monitoring system and seafood quality. The delegation has taken note of the on-ground observations and will convey them to the European Commission (EC).
VFM
