Vo Thanh Binh of Long Dien district has been using coracles to fish for nearly 35 years. Binh said he was happy because coracles and boats more than 6 meters long like his have been given "birth certificates", making fishing more convenient.

 “In the past, our coracles weren’t licensed, so when there was a collision at sea, we didn’t know who to file a claim against. From now on, if an incident occurs at sea, it will be easier for us to coordinate with local authorities,” said Binh.

Triet Kim Hai of Dat Do district, said his boat is 8 meters long and he has been engaged in nearshore fishing for many years.

 “Because I’ve fished near shore for a long time, I have paid little attention to this matter. The registration of fishing boats will help us enter or leave a port more easily,” said Hai.

To register a fishing boat, the owner only needs to provide his or her citizen identification card and phone number. After a few minutes they will have a registration number.

Last month, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province completed the registration of more than 2,400 coracles and small bamboo ferryboats that operate near shore.

Ha Thanh, an officer in charge of fishery issues for Long Hai town, Long Dien district, said they went directly to the fishermen’s houses to distribute the numbers.

“When they go out to sea, they can attach their number to their vessel,” he said. 

Tran Van Dung, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Section of Dat Do district, said the local administration will soon finish issuing registration numbers.

According to Dung,  “Most of the local fishermen go out fishing and return home the same day. A few of them fish for 3 to 5 days. In those cases, the vessel owners were asked to declare in advance.”

Issuing registration numbers to small fishing boats will help localities in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province manage fishing activities and handle violations of the IUU fishing rules or fishing in the wrong area.