The number of ships lost connection at sea is still high.

This information makes many fishermen with fishing boats of 15m or more that have installed VMS happy, hoping that next year the policy will be realized, because currently maintaining the operation of VMS equipment is very difficult when aquatic resources are no longer as abundant as before. In addition to the average investment in purchasing equipment from 18 - 25 million VND/machine, fishermen also have to pay a monthly subscription fee of 350,000 - 400,000 VND/machine depending on the service provider, if calculated over a long period of time, this cost is not small. In addition, in recent years, aquatic resources have declined, gasoline prices have fluctuated, and Vietnamese seafood products have been warned by the EC with a "yellow card", so the seafood exploitation industry is facing many challenges and difficulties.

To date, the province has 1,944/1,944 operating fishing vessels installed with VMS equipment, reaching a rate of 100%; the number of fishing vessels that have not installed VMS is 14 due to inactivity (damaged, lying on shore, waiting for execution of judgment...). According to the provisions of Decree 26/2019/ND-CP of the Government, VMS equipment installed on fishing vessels must be turned on 24/7 from the time the vessel leaves the port to operate at sea until it returns to the port. “However, through the fishing vessel monitoring system, from the beginning of 2021 to now, nearly 35,000 fishing vessels (about 1,200 vessels) have lost connection to VMS devices at sea. According to daily monitoring on the province's fishing vessel monitoring system, the number of fishing vessels losing connection to VMS devices at sea and on shore accounts for 26-40% (from 500 to 780 vessels) of the total number of fishing vessels installed with VMS (1,944 vessels). Of which, losing connection due to not paying subscription fees due to network operators disconnecting satellite services accounts for about 60% of the total number of fishing vessels losing connection. Currently, the number of fishing vessels losing connection to VMS devices due to difficulties in paying service fees is 326 vessels” - said the leader of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Currently, fishing vessels losing connection to VMS devices is quite common, which has greatly affected the control and close monitoring of fishing vessels operating at sea, potentially posing a high risk of fishing vessels violating illegal fishing in foreign waters. On the other hand, according to the EC's recommendations and the Prime Minister's strong direction, it is necessary to ensure that VMS devices operate continuously 24/7 while operating, and at the same time, monitor and supervise 24/7 for 100% of fishing vessels operating at sea through the fishing vessel monitoring system. Fishing vessels losing connection to VMS devices while operating at sea not only affects the efforts and efforts in preventing and combating IUU fishing of sectors and levels, but also poses potential risks to the lives and property of ship owners and workers if there is a ship incident or unusual natural disaster situations because there is no equipment to assist.

Unanimity of principles

In that situation, from 2020 to now, 13 coastal provinces and cities nationwide have issued policies to support the cost of installing VMS equipment and support the subscription fee for satellite services to monitor fishing vessel journeys for fishermen. Typically, in the localities: Ca Mau, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Quang Tri, Kien Giang, Thai Binh, the People's Councils of these provinces have issued policies to support the subscription fee for satellite services to monitor fishing vessel journeys for fishermen with support levels from 50 to 100%, support period from 3 to 5 years. In the provinces that have implemented support for the subscription fee for VMS satellite services for fishing vessels for fishermen, the situation of losing connection of equipment with the fishing vessel monitoring system has significantly decreased, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of monitoring fishing vessels operating at sea to better serve the work of combating IUU fishing.

For Binh Thuan, facing many difficulties affecting production, during the meetings with voters of the National Assembly and Provincial People's Council, many voters in La Gi town and Phu Quy district recommended that the Provincial People's Committee should have a policy to support VMS fees, helping fishermen reduce difficulties. Not only that, maintaining regular operation of VMS equipment, in addition to complying with the provisions of the law on fisheries, meeting the conditions for removing the EC's "Yellow Card", also helps management agencies increase effectiveness and efficiency in managing, supervising, preventing and combating IUU fishing. In particular, monitoring, detecting, warning, preventing and handling fishing vessels and fishermen in the province violating foreign waters, trawling boats (including flying trawlers) operating in the wrong fishing areas, while also actively supporting disaster prevention and search and rescue at sea.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Doan Anh Dung has agreed on the policy of supporting the subscription fee for VMS satellite service. The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to coordinate with the Provincial People's Committee Office and the Department of Justice to carry out the next steps in accordance with the procedures and order.