HCM City: More than 41,000 fishing vessels and 350,000 fishermen operating at sea have been reached through comprehensive legal education campaigns against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing led by Emulation Group No. 2 of the Vietnam Coast Guard in 2026.
The figures were reported at a review conference held in HCM City on October 15.
The intensive anti-IUU public outreach, integrated into the long-running "Coast Guard accompanies fishermen" programme and the "I love my homeland's seas and islands" contest, also reached more than 30,000 residents and local officials on land.
Alongside legal guidance, coast guard units distributed 15,888 national flags and 6,740 gifts to fishing families, while providing free medical consultations and health check-ups for 2,050 coastal residents, at a total cost of more than 15 billion Vietnamese dong (US$580,000).
Digital tools, including QR-code legal leaflets, digital libraries, online political tests and simulated court trials addressing IUU violations, were widely deployed to raise fishermen's awareness and compliance with the law.
The importance of field operations was further emphasised at a coordination review conference organised on October 15 by the High Command of Coast Guard Region No. 3.
The conference was chaired by Senior Colonel Nguyen Duc Hieu, Deputy Commander for Legal Affairs of Coast Guard Region No. 3.
Detailed reports showed that between September 8 and October 13, relevant law enforcement forces maintained continuous joint patrols across sensitive overlapping waters between Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as extended maritime patrol zones.
On average, authorities monitored 196 to 342 Vietnamese offshore fishing vessels operating daily in these key sea regions.
During this period, authorities maintained continuous communication channels with vessel owners onshore, cross-checking active vessel registers and verifying cases where Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) devices lost connection.
At sea, coast guard officers conducted 3,935 radio communication sessions, reaching 1,902 vessels and 14,378 crew members, alongside direct onboard inspections and outreach involving 500 vessels and 3,500 fishermen.
A total of 469 national flags and 1,497 informational leaflets were distributed during these patrols.
Despite harsh weather conditions, including frequent thunderstorms and strong south-westerly winds, officers remained vigilant.
The conference examined persistent operational challenges, including vessel operators deliberately crossing maritime boundaries, ignoring stop signals or disabling VMS equipment.
Other sophisticated violations included using spoofed VMS signals, installing two VMS devices from different suppliers, and taking advantage of reduced visibility at night or in rough seas to enter foreign waters.
Speaking at the conference, Senior Colonel Nguyen Duc Hieu commended the proactive coordination among law enforcement agencies.
He urged all forces to maintain strict patrols, enhance real-time information sharing, and take firm action against deliberate violations to support national efforts to lift the European Commission's "yellow card" warning on Vietnamese seafood.
At a related conference on October 12 in Phuoc Thang Ward, Emulation Group No. 2 reviewed its overall achievements under the 2026 "Determined to Win" emulation movement and its commendation work.
Senior Colonel Le Van Tu, Political Commissar of the Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command and head of the group, chaired the event alongside commanders from Coast Guard Regions No. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Throughout 2026, units across the group deployed more than 1,400 vessel and boat sorties, covering more than 730,000 nautical miles safely.
Law enforcement operations resulted in administrative penalties against more than 1,000 non-compliant vessels, generating tens of billions of Vietnamese dong for the State budget.
In anti-crime operations, units handled 27 narcotics cases, notably intercepting an illegal shipment of 1.16 tonnes of drugs. They also rescued 17 vessels and 197 people at sea, including 20 foreign tourists.
In recognition of their 2026 achievements, units within the group received 43 certificates of merit, including one from the Prime Minister, while 445 collectives and 947 individuals received commendations from various authorities. — VNS
