A peak campaign was launched on August 18 in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, with the aim of contributing to the removal of the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning to Vietnam's seafood industry, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.

Running until September 2025, the campaign focuses on close coordination with local authorities to prevent and end IUU fishing, particularly the illegal operations in foreign waters.

Colonel Pham Le Xuan Binh, Commander of the municipal Border Guard Command, urged agencies to strengthen communication to raise fishermen’s awareness, calling on boat owners and captains to commit to not infringing foreign waters.

Local authorities and relevant agencies are tasked with managing fishing vessels by ensuring vessel monitoring systems (VMS) installation on boats of 15 meters or longer, registering them in the national fisheries database, and requiring all vessels going to sea to carry proper documents and safety equipment. All boats from 6 meters upwards must be documented and monitored, with a particular focus on “high-risk” vessels likely to violate foreign waters.

Local forces will also work with the Navy Region 5 and Coast Guard Region 4 to supervise vessel movements, and with competent agencies to inspect and monitor all fishing and service vessels at designated ports.

Colonel Binh stressed that all vessels are required to have necessary relevant legal documents or required equipment to set sail.

In recent years, Can Tho has achieved positive results, with 100% of offshore vessels installing VMS and no cases of violations in foreign waters reported.

However, officials warned of risks of recurrence, as some vessel owners have yet to fully comply with reporting and logbook regulations.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment Quach Thi Thanh Binh called on fishermen to strictly observe legal requirements, honestly record logbooks, and promptly report violations.

She stressed that all stakeholders should join hands to end all violations in foreign waters by the end of 2025, moving towards a sustainable, transparent, and reputable Vietnamese fishery sector.