The regulation aligns with the FAO’s Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), which seeks to prevent illegally caught seafood from entering global supply chains. Under the rules, vessel owners or operators must submit advance notification at least 72 hours before arrival to the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance. Required documents include vessel registration, fishing or transhipment licences, voyage reports, cargo hold layout and relevant permits such as CITES certificates, provided in Vietnamese or English. Inspectors will verify documentation, examine fishing gear, and compare declared cargo with actual volumes unloaded. In cases of fishing breaches such as invalid licences, illegal fishing practices or exceeding quotas, authorities may refuse unloading and require vessels to leave Vietnamese waters, except in humanitarian situations.

Source: VietNamNet News April 02, 2026 17:29 UTC