Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
The move aims to help secure the removal of the European Commission (EC) “yellow card” warning against Việt Nam’s seafood exports over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province will continue implementing comprehensive measures in line with the Government’s directions and the EC’s recommendations, according to its Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing.
The focus will be on tightening the management of the fishing fleet to ensure that all vessels eligible to operate are registered, inspected, licensed for fishing, and equipped with vessel monitoring system (VMS) devices that remain connected in accordance with regulations.
The province will also tighten control over vessels entering and leaving ports, monitor seafood landings at ports and strengthen the verification and certification of seafood origin.
It will intensify patrols and inspections while strictly handling violations, particularly cases involving disconnected VMS devices, vessels crossing permitted maritime boundaries and illegal fishing activities.
It is also increasing public awareness campaigns to improve fishermen's understanding of and compliance with the law. High-risk fishing vessels are being closely monitored.
According to the steering committee, all active fishing vessels have been registered, inspected, licensed, marked for identification and managed in accordance with regulations.
The province has also placed fishing vessels that are not eligible to operate under strict management.
Every week, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment updates the list of ineligible vessels, high-risk vessels and those with long-term VMS service interruptions so local authorities can monitor them.
Their mooring locations have been identified, records are maintained, regular inspections are carried out, and they are not allowed to fish.
To monitor fishing activities, relevant agencies maintain a 24/7 duty system to track signals from VMS devices. This enables them to promptly warn vessels that lose connection or show signs of crossing maritime boundaries.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Border Guard and local authorities also work closely together to monitor vessels entering and leaving ports.
The province has two fishing ports – Mỹ Tho Fishing Port and Vàm Láng Fishing Port.
The fishing ports have received 3,408 vessel arrivals, with more than 20,243 tonnes of seafood landed, since the beginning of the year.
All landed seafood has been fully recorded in the electronic system to support traceability.
The province has continued to strictly implement procedures for verifying, certifying and tracing seafood origin.
It has not detected any seafood shipments exported to the European market that have violated IUU fishing regulations or required origin verification so far this year.
Law enforcement has also been strengthened. Authorities fined those responsible for 53 IUU-related violations, with total penalties of nearly VNĐ4 billion (US$152,000) in the first six months of the year.
During the period, no fishing vessels from the province have been found operating illegally in foreign waters.
(searfood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports continued to post positive results in the first eight months of 2026, with total export value reaching US$90 million, up 43% year-on-year. However, exports in August alone stood at US$11 million, down 8%, reflecting uneven market developments. Brazil remained the leading market, while Japan recorded notable growth, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese tilapia products.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth has begun to slow and become more differentiated across markets, while the U.S. and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global Shrimp Forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers increasingly focus on quality, product specifications, supply stability and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In August 2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $1.14 billion, up 6% year on year. Cumulative eight-month exports rose 11.8% to $8.00 billion, though momentum has cooled compared to the 12.8% growth seen through July. China - Hong Kong and ASEAN are offsetting weakness in the U.S, EU and partly Japan. This divergence will likely widen in Q4 as trade tariffs and traceability requirements directly weigh on new orders.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam–Russia relations are entering a new phase of cooperation, with a focus on expanding trade, investment and economic connectivity. Against this backdrop, tuna is emerging as one of the seafood products with significant growth potential in the Russian market. Export data for the first seven months of 2026 show strong growth in Vietnamese tuna exports to Russia. However, turning this momentum into sustainable market share will require businesses to address challenges related to logistics, payment and supply competition.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese tilapia is moving into a higher-value segment as brackish-water farmed fish from the Mekong Delta is now being processed for sashimi and exported regularly to Japan.
(seafoo.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau Province is stepping up efforts to protect aquatic resources and promote transparent and sustainable fisheries, joining the country’s efforts to have the European Commission (EC) remove its “yellow card” warning for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam has strengthened its position in China’s massive seafood market, becoming the largest lobster supplier while maintaining a dominant share of the country’s imported pangasius.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026 was more than just a larger exhibition space. Through B2B meetings, booth discussions, production-chain visits and post-show feedback, businesses and buyers found something more concrete: suitable suppliers, processing capabilities, technology solutions, new markets and a foundation for building long-term trust and partnerships.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States declined significantly in the first seven months of 2026. Cumulative export value reached US$18 million, down 42% from the same period in 2025. In July alone, exports amounted to just US$2 million, plunging 70%, indicating a clear slowdown in import demand from the US market.
(vasep.com.vn) At the seminar “Global Seafood Markets and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities and Directions for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Fisheries Sector,” held as part of VIETFISH 2026, Ms. Shirlene Maria Anthonysamy, Fisheries Officer (Markets) and GLOBEFISH Coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presented initiatives aimed at promoting youth participation in fisheries and aquaculture.
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