{"id":1904,"date":"2026-10-03T05:47:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T05:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/03\/unicorn778-vietnams-fishers-face-rising-costs-declining-catches-and-a-contested-sea-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T05:47:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T05:47:34","slug":"unicorn778-vietnams-fishers-face-rising-costs-declining-catches-and-a-contested-sea-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/03\/unicorn778-vietnams-fishers-face-rising-costs-declining-catches-and-a-contested-sea-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 Vietnam\u2019s fishers face rising costs, declining catches and a contested sea Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-331508\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>As Hanoi leans on fishers to hold the line in contested waters, a distant war and a demanding European compliance regime are squeezing the same boats from opposite directions.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The fuel crisis caused by the Iran War adds to the pressure.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Data shows a nearly-19% year-on-year drop in fishing activity during March and April 2026, the height of the fuel crisis.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>QUANG NGAI, Vietnam \u2014\u00a0When diesel prices in Vietnam hit an all-time high in March, Vo Huu Viet, a fisherman with more than 30 years at sea in Quang Ngai province in Central Vietnam, did something he rarely does. He stayed on shore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe catch is simply not enough to make up for the labor of four men,\u201d Viet said.<\/p>\n<p>Docking the aging wooden boat he inherited from his father means he, his wife, his crew and their families had to do other work, such as hauling heavy goods for other people, to make ends meet.<\/p>\n<p>Viet was hardly alone.<\/p>\n<p>In fishing ports around Vietnam, thousands of boats stayed docked for months as the fuel crisis made sea-bound trips unprofitable. The hike in fuel prices, fishers told Mongabay, didn\u2019t just raise the cost of diesel \u2014 it raised the cost of everything else that supports a fishing boat, from ice to food.<\/p>\n<p>From March 1 to April 21 of this year, fishing activities around Vietnam fell 18.9% compared with the same time last year, from the nonprofit vessel-tracking platform Global Fishing Watch. For energy-intensive trawlers, the drop was 31%.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331517\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120308\/2026_079_AA_FishingVietman_v1-scaled.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-331517 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120308\/2026_079_AA_FishingVietman_v1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Map for Vietnam\u2019s fishers face rising costs, declining catches and a contested sea \" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120308\/2026_079_AA_FishingVietman_v1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120308\/2026_079_AA_FishingVietman_v1-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120308\/2026_079_AA_FishingVietman_v1-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120308\/2026_079_AA_FishingVietman_v1-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120308\/2026_079_AA_FishingVietman_v1-1200x960.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120308\/2026_079_AA_FishingVietman_v1-610x488.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">As fuel prices spiked in Vietnam, fishing boats spent fewer hours on the water. Graphic by Andr\u00e9s Alegria\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fuel is not the only pressure. Declining fish stocks \u2014 the result of years of unsustainable and illegal fishing, compounded by climate change \u2014 along with international pressures to tighten fishing enforcement and the growing presence of Chinese vessels add to the strain. The toll is economic, mental and, for some, brutally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/10\/28\/world\/asia\/vietnam-south-china-sea.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">physical<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, directives from the Vietnamese government are often contradictory. On one hand, Hanoi relies on the fleet to hold the country\u2019s territorial claims, subsidizing boats to trawl in contested, depleted waters. On the other, it is working to tighten monitoring and regulations in order to protect the country\u2019s exports.<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, the European Commission <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/newsroom\/mare\/items\/606033\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">issued<\/a> Vietnam a \u201cyellow card,\u201d a formal warning that a country\u2019s fisheries oversight fails to meet the <a href=\"https:\/\/oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu\/international\/illegal-fishing_en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">European Union\u2019s criteria<\/a> on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. A yellow card acts as an immediate non-tariff barrier that, research <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0308597X24002069\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">shows<\/a>, is equivalent to a 5% tariff rate and slashes fishery exports to the EU by an average of 23%. A red card is an outright import ban on marine fish.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, the commission has worked with Vietnamese authorities to improve fisheries control policy, a commission spokesperson said in an email response to Mongabay.<\/p>\n<p>For Hanoi, this means an across-the-board fisheries reform to tighten regulations, boost monitoring and enforcement, and implement conservation and sustainability measures.<\/p>\n<p>Removing the yellow card to boost the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.vneconomy.vn\/vietnams-2025-seafood-exports-hit-1134-billion.htm\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">$11.34-billion<\/a> fisheries export industry has been a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.vneconomy.vn\/vietnam-is-determined-to-have-ecs-yellow-card-on-seafoods-exports-removed.htm\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">stated goal<\/a> of Hanoi\u2019s central government for years, across leadership changes. Almost a decade later, it remains in place.<\/p>\n<p>Vietnamese fishers, caught in the middle of clashing goals, stand to absorb the cost.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331520\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120617\/1-Viet-and-his-wife.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-331520\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120617\/1-Viet-and-his-wife.jpg\" alt=\"Viet and his wife loading ice used to preserve the catch ahead of a trip in July\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120617\/1-Viet-and-his-wife.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120617\/1-Viet-and-his-wife-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120617\/1-Viet-and-his-wife-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120617\/1-Viet-and-his-wife-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120617\/1-Viet-and-his-wife-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Viet and his wife loading ice used to preserve the catch ahead of a trip in July, after the worst of the fuel crisis had passed and diesel prices fell to about half their March peak. Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>The yellow card<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When the European Commission issued Vietnam\u2019s yellow card in October 2017, it cited a long list of serious failures. At the time, <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/?uri=oj:JOC_2017_364_R_0003\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">the commission wrote<\/a>, the country\u2019s fisheries law did not apply to boats fishing beyond Vietnam\u2019s own waters, required no catch logbooks, and set penalties too small to be a deterrent. Of the roughly 33,000 Vietnamese vessels fishing within Vietnam\u2019s exclusive economic zone, but more than 24 nautical miles (45 kilometers) offshore, only about one in 10 carried a working vessel monitoring system (VMS), and none were legally required to keep it switched on, according to the commission.<\/p>\n<p>The heightened scrutiny has cost Vietnam economically.<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, the EU <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seafoodsource.com\/features\/vietnam-seafood-exports-hit-record-high-in-2017\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">overtook<\/a> the U.S. for the first time to become the largest buyer of Vietnamese seafood, with purchases worth $1.4 billion, up 22% from the year before. By 2019, exports to the EU had <a href=\"https:\/\/en.baochinhphu.vn\/ec-reschedules-iuu-inspection-in-viet-nam-111230522173024342.htm\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">fallen<\/a> by 12% compared with 2017, a loss of $183.5 million.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331521\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120930\/Tinh-Hoa-fishing-port.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-331521\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120930\/Tinh-Hoa-fishing-port.jpg\" alt=\"Boats sit idle at Tinh Hoa fishing port. \" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120930\/Tinh-Hoa-fishing-port.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120930\/Tinh-Hoa-fishing-port-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120930\/Tinh-Hoa-fishing-port-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120930\/Tinh-Hoa-fishing-port-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02120930\/Tinh-Hoa-fishing-port-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boats sit idle at Tinh Hoa fishing port. Vietnamese fishing boats are traditionally painted blue \u2014 the origin of the nickname \u201cblue boat\u201d for the fleet, which became notorious for illegal fishing far beyond the country\u2019s waters. Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Vietnamese officials have warned that an upgrade from yellow card to red card could <a href=\"https:\/\/vietnamnews.vn\/economy\/1593810\/eu-s-iuu-red-card-could-cost-vietnamese-seafood-half-a-billion-dollars.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">cost<\/a> the industry an estimated $500 million.<\/p>\n<p>Vietnam has responded with new laws, tighter enforcement and international cooperation. Weeks after the yellow card was issued, the National Assembly passed the landmark Fisheries Law incorporating the commission\u2019s recommendations. In 2019, a <a href=\"https:\/\/env4wildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Decree-42_2019_ND-CP.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">follow-up decree<\/a> set fines of 800 million to 1 billion Vietnamese dong (roughly $35,000-$43,700) for fishing in another country\u2019s waters without a license \u2014 a sum that can exceed the entire catch value of a single long trip with a crew of a dozen or more.<\/p>\n<p>Most fishers Mongabay spoke with knew little about the exact fine amounts. But they understood the consequences well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe cannot fish outside Vietnam\u2019s waters anymore. The machine knows everything,\u201d said Xanh, a fisherman in his 50s from the fishing village of Tinh Ky, referring to the GPS trackers now required on larger boats.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey fine harshly. If they catch you doing that, they put you in jail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The money Vietnam has spent chasing compliance, however, has gone disproportionately toward enforcement rather than fisheries management or ecological restoration, said Carolyn Gruber, a fisheries expert at the Stimson Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank. \u201cIt\u2019s more of what we would call securitization. So we are transforming fishing management into like military enforcement actions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331524\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125224\/Radar-and-communication-antennas.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-331524\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125224\/Radar-and-communication-antennas.jpg\" alt=\"Radar and communication antennas are now a common sight atop Vietnamese fishing vessels. \" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125224\/Radar-and-communication-antennas.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125224\/Radar-and-communication-antennas-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125224\/Radar-and-communication-antennas-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125224\/Radar-and-communication-antennas-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125224\/Radar-and-communication-antennas-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Radar and communication antennas are now a common sight atop Vietnamese fishing vessels. Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331525\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125353\/signboard-at-a-fishing-port-on-Ly-Son-Island.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-331525\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125353\/signboard-at-a-fishing-port-on-Ly-Son-Island.jpg\" alt=\"A signboard at a fishing port on Ly Son Island, 15 nautical miles (28 km) off Vietnam's coast, lists the rules fishing boats must follow\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125353\/signboard-at-a-fishing-port-on-Ly-Son-Island.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125353\/signboard-at-a-fishing-port-on-Ly-Son-Island-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125353\/signboard-at-a-fishing-port-on-Ly-Son-Island-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125353\/signboard-at-a-fishing-port-on-Ly-Son-Island-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125353\/signboard-at-a-fishing-port-on-Ly-Son-Island-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A signboard at a fishing port on Ly Son Island, 15 nautical miles (28 km) off the coast of mainland Vietnam, lists the rules fishing boats must follow \u2014 from carrying tracking devices to, as one line puts it, \u201cactively participating in protecting sea and island sovereignty.\u201d Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>A fleet of purposes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The South China Sea has long been a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/global-conflict-tracker\/conflict\/territorial-disputes-south-china-sea\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">contested<\/a> body of water, with regional claimants fighting over sovereignty in this strategic, resource-rich stretch of ocean.<\/p>\n<p>Beijing has been the biggest and most forceful claimant. China\u2019s nine-dash line demarcates a claim to roughly 90% of the South China Sea, and the country backs it with large-scale artificial island building and <a href=\"https:\/\/amti.csis.org\/chinese-power-projection\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">militarization<\/a>, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/amti.csis.org\/all-together-now-chinas-militia-in-2025\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">patrolling fleet<\/a> of coast guard vessels and fishing militia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom what we see of their ships, China very much treats the [nine-dash line] as some type of boundary,\u201d said Harrison Pr\u00e9tat, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies\u2019 (CSIS) Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.<\/p>\n<p>Chinese vessels, he said, station inside the line, wait for foreign boats to cross it, then maneuver to push them back out.<\/p>\n<p>The Embassy of China in Hanoi did not respond to an emailed request for comment by the time of this publication.<\/p>\n<p>In the contested South China Sea, Vietnam\u2019s fishing fleet does double duty \u2014 catching seafood and staking territorial claims.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that Vietnam has an official fishing militia. Since a <a href=\"https:\/\/chinhphu.vn\/default.aspx?pageid=27160&amp;docid=92339\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">2009 law<\/a> formalized the force, its members have received government training and a modest allowance. But the militia itself is small: As of 2016, it <a href=\"https:\/\/tapchiqptd.vn\/vi\/nghien-cuu-trao-doi\/mot-so-van-de-ve-to-chuc-va-hoat-dong-cua-luc-luong-dan-quan-tu-ve-bien\/9901.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">made up<\/a> just 0.08% of Vietnam\u2019s total militia force and just 1.22% of the country\u2019s maritime labor force, with an estimated 8,000 vessels.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the formal militia, a far larger number of ordinary commercial boats are encouraged to operate in contested waters through a fuel, insurance and navigation-equipment subsidy program that the prime minister authorized in 2010. The program even provides support for fishers captured by foreign countries.<\/p>\n<p>Fishers colloquially call these subsidized trips \u201cisland protecting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can we abandon it?\u201d Xanh said of the Paracel Islands, the nearest disputed archipelago to Quang Ngai. He and his peers have had run-ins with Chinese coast guard vessels over the years, including \u2014 in what used to be a common occurrence \u2014 being hosed down with water cannons powerful enough to damage a wooden hull.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s our historical fishing ground,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331514\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115438\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_map_v1-scaled.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-331514 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115438\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_map_v1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Map for Vietnam\u2019s fishers face rising costs, declining catches and a contested sea \" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115438\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_map_v1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115438\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_map_v1-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115438\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_map_v1-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115438\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_map_v1-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115438\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_map_v1-1200x960.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115438\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_map_v1-610x488.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia all have conflicting and overlapping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea. Image by Andr\u00e9s Alegria \/ Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As Vietnam\u2019s fishing fleet expands, it has run into an <a href=\"https:\/\/ejfoundation.org\/news-media\/rampant-illegal-fishing-child-labour-and-grinding-poverty-the-truth-of-the-vietnamese-fleet\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">overcapacity<\/a> issue.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past decade, Vietnam\u2019s fishing fleet grew more than 3.5 times over, from just over 4 million combined horsepower to more than 14.4 million HP in 2023. However, marine fish catches only grew by less than 1.7 times over the same period, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.<\/p>\n<p>A depleted ocean has pushed fishing boats to go further out, fishers in Quang Ngai told Mongabay, which the government <a href=\"https:\/\/en.nhandan.vn\/localities-urged-to-tighten-fisheries-management-to-combat-iuu-fishing-post167066.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">once encouraged<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331515\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115715\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_graph_v2-scaled.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-331515 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115715\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_graph_v2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Graph Vietnam\u2019s fishers face rising costs, declining catches and a contested sea \" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115715\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_graph_v2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115715\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_graph_v2-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115715\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_graph_v2-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115715\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_graph_v2-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115715\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_graph_v2-1200x960.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02115715\/2026_084_AA_FishingVietman_graph_v2-610x488.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vietnam\u2019s sea catch has not kept pace with the growth of its fishing fleet, one of many indications that fisheries are being harvested at our above their limit. Image by Andr\u00e9s Alegria \/ Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>The fuel crunch<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Fishers say the subsidy is appreciated, but it doesn\u2019t go very far. This has been particularly true since the fuel crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The payout scales with the boat. A mid-sized vessel of around 400 horsepower can receive roughly 35 million dong (about $1,330) per qualifying trip. A larger boat of over 700 HP can receive up to 100 million dong (about $3,810) per trip, usually lasting two to three weeks at sea, with a maximum of four subsidized trips allowed per year.<\/p>\n<p>Diesel in Vietnam has floated around 25,000 dong a liter (about $3.60 a gallon) in recent years. But after war broke out in Iran in late February, sending oil markets into a spiral, Vietnamese diesel prices hit an all-time high in March at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pvoil.com.vn\/tin-gia-xang-dau\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">43,000 dong<\/a> a liter, or roughly $6.20 a gallon.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331526\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125530\/boats-wear-and-tear.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-331526\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125530\/boats-wear-and-tear.jpg\" alt=\"When Viet decided to stay docked during the fuel crisis, his aging boat\u2019s wear and tear was also a big consideration. Costly hull rot and engine failures were risks he was not willing to take on. Image by Minh Tran.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125530\/boats-wear-and-tear.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125530\/boats-wear-and-tear-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125530\/boats-wear-and-tear-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125530\/boats-wear-and-tear-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125530\/boats-wear-and-tear-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">When Viet decided to stay docked during the fuel crisis, his aging boat\u2019s wear and tear was also a big consideration. Costly hull rot and engine failures were risks he was not willing to take on. Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An \u201cisland protecting\u201d trip usually lasts two to three weeks and burns through up to 5,000 l (1,320 gal) of fuel \u2014 close to $8,200 worth, at March prices. Adding bait, food for a crew at sea for over two weeks, maintenance, and wages, a Paracel-bound trip needs to earn at least $27,000 just to break even.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe pressure is high because you\u2019re not only thinking about breaking even, but also the wage of your \u2018brothers\u2019 and their families,\u201d one boat owner told Mongabay. Many captains and owners, especially those already in debt, did not want to take the risk.<\/p>\n<p>While Vietnamese boats sat docked throughout the March and April fuel spike, the Chinese fleet showed no comparable pullback. Chinese militia activity in the South China Sea has kept <a href=\"https:\/\/amti.csis.org\/all-together-now-chinas-militia-in-2025\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">expanding<\/a> in recent years, according to CSIS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen less militia, and we certainly haven\u2019t seen less coast guard activity,\u201d Harrison Pr\u00e9tat said.<\/p>\n<p>For Beijing, he argued, a fuel shock that raises the cost of maintaining a presence in the South China Sea might not be bad news. \u201cThis is going to be way more expensive for the Philippines and Vietnam,\u201d he said, describing what he sees as the likely calculation in Beijing.<\/p>\n<p>The largest Vietnamese fishing boats in an \u201cisland protecting\u201d trip would receive a maximum of $3,810 of fuel subsidy for a month. The largest Chinese fishing vessels receive roughly the same amount for a day, about $3,740, according to a 2021 CSIS <a href=\"https:\/\/amti.csis.org\/pulling-back-the-curtain-on-chinas-maritime-militia\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">report<\/a> on China\u2019s maritime militia.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125635\/Viets-boat-takes-on-fuel.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-331527\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125635\/Viets-boat-takes-on-fuel.jpg\" alt=\"Viet\u2019s boat takes on fuel ahead of a four-day trip in July, when diesel prices had eased to about half their spring peak. He and his crew returned to sea in late April once prices began to cool. Image by Minh Tran.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125635\/Viets-boat-takes-on-fuel.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125635\/Viets-boat-takes-on-fuel-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125635\/Viets-boat-takes-on-fuel-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125635\/Viets-boat-takes-on-fuel-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125635\/Viets-boat-takes-on-fuel-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Viet\u2019s boat takes on fuel ahead of a four-day trip in July, when diesel prices had eased to about half their spring peak. He and his crew returned to sea in late April once prices began to cool. Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125735\/Merchants-buy-fish.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-331528\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125735\/Merchants-buy-fish.jpg\" alt=\"Merchants buy fish from a boat that has just returned to Ly Son Island at dawn. Image by Minh Tran.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125735\/Merchants-buy-fish.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125735\/Merchants-buy-fish-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125735\/Merchants-buy-fish-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125735\/Merchants-buy-fish-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125735\/Merchants-buy-fish-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Merchants buy fish from a boat that has just returned to Ly Son Island at dawn. Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Bleaker future ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cGoing to sea has been so hard these past two years,\u201d a fisher at Tinh Ky fishing port, who asked not to be named, told Mongabay. \u201cCoast guard and fisheries officers check everything, at the port, again at the river gate, and out in the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes they check the boat, then demand a million dong for \u2018beer money,\u2019\u201d he half-laughingly added.<\/p>\n<p>Tighter IUU enforcement has added layers of bureaucracy and, fishers said, more opportunities for petty corruption along the way.<\/p>\n<p>For fishing communities in Quang Ngai that have considered the Paracel Islands as traditional fishing ground, Chinese vessels have pushed the line closer to the Vietnamese shore each year.<\/p>\n<p>While outright violence has become less common \u2014 fishers say the water-cannon attacks that were once routine have largely stopped \u2014 confrontations still happen. In 2024, more than 40 Chinese fishers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/vietnam-fishing-boat-attacked-near-contested-south-china-sea-islands-media-2024-10-01\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">boarded<\/a> a Vietnamese vessel near the contested Paracels, attacked the crew with iron pipes, and confiscated the entire catch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey used to let us go 110 nautical miles [207 km] out from the port,\u201d Xanh said. \u201cNow, sometimes they start chasing around 90 nautical miles [167 km].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Underlying all of it, Gruber said, is a problem no single country can fix on its own.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt just seems like a pretty classic case of a tragedy of the commons,\u201d Gruber said. \u201cWhile this is supposed to be a shared space, it\u2019s just sort of mired in these contested boundary issues where resource extraction is being used as a proxy for just gaining more territory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lack of regional co-management and the impacts of climate change \u2014\u00a0warming waters and changes in circulation \u2014 will strain the fishing resources in the South China Sea further, he added.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_331529\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125846\/Viet-smokes-a-cigarette.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-331529\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125846\/Viet-smokes-a-cigarette.jpg\" alt=\"Viet smokes a cigarette while waiting for his boat to be refueled. Fuel alone will cost him just over 6 million dong ($230) for the four-day trip. Image by Minh Tran.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125846\/Viet-smokes-a-cigarette.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125846\/Viet-smokes-a-cigarette-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125846\/Viet-smokes-a-cigarette-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125846\/Viet-smokes-a-cigarette-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/10\/02125846\/Viet-smokes-a-cigarette-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Viet smokes a cigarette while waiting for his boat to be refueled. Fuel alone will cost him just over 6 million dong ($230) for the four-day trip. Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hanoi, in recent years, has recognized the unsustainability of an ever-expanding fleet. In 2024, the government <a href=\"https:\/\/vietnamlawmagazine.vn\/vietnam-charts-vision-for-sustainable-modern-fisheries-by-2050-71844.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">approved<\/a> a plan to conserve fisheries resources that sets a target of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.vietnamplus.vn\/iuu-fishing-quang-ngai-helps-fishermen-transition-to-sustainable-livelihoods-post335928.vnp\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">reducing<\/a> the national fishing fleet to 83,600 vessels by 2030, and requires provinces to cut their vessel count by at least 12% from 2020 levels.<\/p>\n<p>Small near-shore boats, like Viet\u2019s, are among the ones <a href=\"https:\/\/en.vietnamplus.vn\/iuu-fishing-quang-ngai-helps-fishermen-transition-to-sustainable-livelihoods-post335928.vnp\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">targeted<\/a>. Yet, he has no intention of giving his up, he said. Like many fishers in the area, going out to sea is all he knows.<\/p>\n<p>His income, he said he expects, will keep shrinking, squeezed between rising costs and an already exhausted coastal fishery.<\/p>\n<p>After filling his tank, at dusk, Viet and his three crewmen headed out to sea. He would spend four days on the water, and he said he expected to come home with a total profit of 3-4 million dong \u2014 $115 to $153 \u2014 to be split between the four of them.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> Vietnamese fishers take to uncertain waters in a distinctive, blue-painted boat. Image by Minh Tran for Mongabay.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"moBf2dLuSv\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/08\/philippine-supreme-court-rules-monitoring-commercial-fishing-vessels-is-unconstitutional\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Philippine Supreme Court rules monitoring commercial fishing vessels is unconstitutional<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cPhilippine Supreme Court rules monitoring commercial fishing vessels is unconstitutional\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/08\/philippine-supreme-court-rules-monitoring-commercial-fishing-vessels-is-unconstitutional\/embed\/#?secret=oHaviIXaSG#?secret=moBf2dLuSv\" data-secret=\"moBf2dLuSv\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>FEEDBACK: <a href=\"https:\/\/form.jotform.com\/70284630778160\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Use this form<\/a> to send a message to the editor responsible for this story. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div id=\"cite-article\" class=\"align-left banner bg-brand-color crossref-doi outlined ph--16 pv--16\">\n<h2>Cite this article<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"crossref-doi\">Minh L Tran (2026). Vietnam\u2019s fishers face rising costs, declining catches and a contested sea. Mongabay Conservation news. DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-331508\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-331508<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9107d4825c02b08157c0fcd5d76225369727ff199bbfc6285f277af6d67d3d73?s=32&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9107d4825c02b08157c0fcd5d76225369727ff199bbfc6285f277af6d67d3d73?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; As Hanoi leans on fishers to hold the line in contested waters, a distant&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,4189,4190,2580,4188,1248,526,14,9,416,11,250,13,10,2,54],"class_list":["post-1904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-bermain","tag-catches","tag-contested","tag-costs","tag-declining","tag-face","tag-fishers","tag-online","tag-peluang","tag-rising","tag-saat","tag-sea","tag-slot","tag-terburuk","tag-unicorn778","tag-vietnams"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}