Binh Thuan supports the satellite service subscription fee for fishing boats

On the morning of November 13, during the 28th (specialized) session, the People's Council of Binh Thuan province passed a resolution that establishes a policy to support the subscription fee for the satellite service used in the vessel monitoring system (VMS) on fishing boats operating within the province.

According to the Resolution, the level of support for the satellite VMS subscription fee is set at 7 USD/month for each fishing boat.

For fishing boat owners to qualify for this support, their vessels must meet certain conditions. Specifically, the boat must be at least 15 meters in length and must be registered in Binh Thuan Province. In addition, the boat owner must provide the necessary documents, which include: a valid fishing boat registration certificate, a valid technical safety certificate, a valid fisheries exploitation permit, and a signed service contract for the VMS subscription between the boat owner and the service provider, along with the relevant service invoices. Furthermore, the VMS equipment installed on the boat must ensure continuous connectivity when the vessel is operating at sea, in accordance with the regulations.

The support for the satellite VMS subscription fee will be provided for a period of three years, starting from January 1, 2025.

In addition to outlining the terms of the support, the Resolution also specifies situations in which fishing boats will not be eligible for the VMS service subscription fee assistance. Specifically, fishing boats that have been penalized for violating regulations related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, in accordance with Article 60 of the 2017 Fisheries Law, will not be eligible for support for a period of 12 months from the date the administrative penalty decision is issued. Furthermore, boats that are docked for a continuous period of 2 months (60 days) or more during a given quarter will not be eligible for support for that particular quarter.

Binh Thuan Province currently has 1,949 fishing boats that are required to install VMS equipment due to their maximum length of 15 meters or more. As of now, 100% of the active fishing boats in the province have already installed the VMS devices, ensuring full compliance with the new monitoring requirements.