Vietnam’s fishers face rising costs, declining catches and a contested sea

Vietnamese fishers describe docking boats for months after diesel prices hit record highs in March, with fishing activity down nearly 19% nationally and 31% for trawlers compared to last year. Declining fish stocks, Chinese vessels in contested waters, and tightening regulation are compounding the economic and physical toll on fishing communities like Quang Ngai's.

Since the EU issued Vietnam a 'yellow card' warning in 2017 over illegal and unregulated fishing, Hanoi has passed new laws, fines up to roughly $43,700, and GPS tracking requirements for larger boats — while officials warn a red-card upgrade could cost the industry $500 million. A fisheries expert told Mongabay the spending has gone disproportionately toward enforcement rather than ecological restoration or fleet support.

Meanwhile Hanoi continues to rely on and subsidize the same fleet to assert territorial claims in the South China Sea, where Chinese coast guard and militia vessels patrol a nine-dash line claiming roughly 90% of the sea. Fishers are left absorbing the cost of both goals at once.

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