Quang Ninh City Police said on September 17 that a joint inspection team had detected and detained five fishing vessels engaged in illegal fishing activities in Ha Long Bay.
During a patrol conducted on the night of September 15 and the early hours of September 16, authorities found the boats using steel-framed bottom-dredging equipment to harvest juvenile shellfish, including don and dat clams, in violation of regulations.
At the time of the inspection, the vessels were carrying approximately 1,800kg of shellfish.
The boats and related evidence have been temporarily seized pending further investigation and administrative handling in accordance with the law.
Shellfish found on a vessel involved in illegal fishing in Ha Long Bay (Photo: Police).
Authorities said illegal fishing activities in the bay have shown signs of becoming more complex, posing a direct threat to marine resources and the ecological balance of Ha Long Bay.
Local officials have urged vessel owners, captains and fishermen to comply with fisheries regulations and refrain from using destructive fishing methods.
The use of electric shocks, explosives, toxic substances, prohibited fishing gear and other environmentally harmful harvesting techniques is strictly banned, authorities said.
