Despite having no coastline, fishing ports, storm shelters or fisheries resources surveillance and border guard forces, Tay Ninh has nearly 190 fishing vessels operating in various waters, posing challenges to management and monitoring.
As part of the national effort to persuade the European Commission (EC) to lift its “yellow card” warning over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the southern province is tightening fleet management, addressing regulatory gaps and supporting fishermen in completing procedures and shifting livelihoods.
Tay Ninh currently has 187 fishing vessels, including 47 operating in coastal waters, 88 in nearshore waters and 52 offshore. By mid-September 2026, 64% of the vessels met operational requirements, while 21 vessel owners were being assisted in completing procedures to obtain fishing licences, said Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment.
Long Huu commune, home to 26 fishing vessels, has strengthened the monitoring of each vessel and owner. Local authorities have also helped fishermen complete paperwork and provided guidance on fishing regulations.
Huynh Phuong Khac Vu, Vice Chairman of the Long Huu commune People's Committee, stated that authorities will continue to step up legal dissemination to each vessel owner and coordinate with relevant agencies to carry out support policies for vessels that have ceased operations or do not meet eligibility criteria.
Regarding vehicles currently docked, they will regularly capture geo-tagged photos and update their locations, forwarding this information to specialised agencies for monitoring and management, he added.
However, challenges remain, including vessels registered under local residents’ names but operated by people from other provinces, and boats that have changed hands without completing ownership transfer procedures.
Khanh said the lack of fisheries infrastructure and the fact that many vessels operate outside the province make it difficult to monitor vessel movements and handle violations. Declining fishing yields and rising fuel, equipment and labour costs have also put pressure on vessel owners to maintain their livelihoods.
Vu Duyen Hai, Deputy Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said Tay Ninh has unique characteristics: it possesses fishing vessels but lacks a fishing port and the necessary conditions to directly monitor the fleet's operations.
Its anti-IUU fishing efforts must go beyond vessel management to include inter-provincial coordination, technology application and livelihood support, he noted, calling for stronger coordination with localities where Tay Ninh-registered vessels operate, better identification and verification of vessel owners and fishermen, and appropriate policies for vessel dismantling and livelihood conversion.
The ultimate goal is not only to raise the proportion of eligible vessels but also to substantively improve vessel owners and fishermen's awareness, and ensure that no local fishing vessel violates foreign waters, contributing to the national effort to combat IUU fishing, have the EC’s “yellow card” warning lifted and develop the fisheries sector sustainably, according to the official.
