Tran Van Hoa, the owner of a fishing boat in Tuy Phong district, used to do what is now called illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Thanks to the border guard’s dissemination of the law and demarcation of sea lanes, these violations no longer occur. The border guard have instructed the fishermen how to fish legally, avoid foreign waters, and handle eventualities at sea, said Hoa.

Hoa recalled since he understands the law, he has told his crew members and other fishermen not to commit violations.

“The border guard force is always available to support us. When there are conflict situations at sea, for example, or if we detect illegal fishing activities, we should report to the border guards, who will come to defuse the situation,” said Hoa.

Most fishermen in Binh Thuan are now aware of the importance of recording and submitting fishing logs and installing vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on their boats. All ship owners and captains of offshore fishing vessels have signed commitments not to violate foreign waters.