Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance

Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance (Vietnamese: Kiểm ngư Việt Nam - KNVN), still alternatively using the former official name Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance and colloquially recognized by its Vietnamese short name Kiểm Ngư (KN, lit. 'Fisheries Surveillance'), is a coastguard-type governmental agency which is nominally under the management of the Directorate of Fisheries of the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Formally established on 25 January 2013, it consists of both the fully-civilian and paramilitary sectors responsible for patrolling, checking, controlling, detecting and handling law violations and taking out fishery inspection in the waters that are under the jurisdiction of Vietnam.^[1] The agency is expected to coordinate with Vietnam People's Navy, Vietnam Coast Guard, Vietnam Border Guard and the Vietnam Maritime Militia to help preserve Vietnam's maritime interests, especially in terms of maritime security, illegal fishing and maritime disputes.

Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Kiểm ngư Việt Nam
Emblem
Flag
Jack
Racing stripe
Common name	Kiem Ngu
Abbreviation	KN
Motto	Bảo vệ nguồn lợi thủy sản Resources Protection
Agency overview
Formed	25 January 2013 (2013-01-25)[1]
Preceding agency	Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance (former name)
Jurisdictional structure
National agency	Vietnam
Operations jurisdiction	Vietnam
Primary governing body	Government of Vietnam
Secondary governing body	Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry of National Defence
Constituting instruments	Document No. 209/UBTVQH13-PL of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on the Establishment of the Fisheries Surveillance Force Degree 102/2012/NĐ-CP of the Vietnamese Government on the Organization and Activities of the Fisheries Surveillance
Operational structure
Overseen by	Department of Fisheries Resources Surveillance
Headquarters	Hanoi
Agency executive	Nguyễn Ngọc Oai[2], Director
Parent agency	Directorate of Fisheries
Notables
Significant operation	Territorial disputes in the South China Sea Hai Yang Shi You 981 standoff
Website
https://tongcucthuysan.gov.vn/en-us/VietNam-Fisheries

Organizational system

• Operations
• Personnel Department
• Planning and Finance Department
• Technical Command Department
• Training and International Cooperation Department
• 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Regional Commands
• Fisheries Resources Surveillance Information Center^[3]

Regional branches

Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance consists of four regional branches under which there are a number of smaller posts.

• Fisheries Resources Surveillance Squadron No.1: based in Hai Phong^[4]
• Fisheries Resources Surveillance Squadron No.2: managed from Da Nang to Ninh Thuận Province; based in Rớ Islet, Khánh Hòa Province. There are three posts: one based in Da Nang on the mainland and two based in Spratly Islands (West Reef and Southwest Cay)^[4]
• Fisheries Resources Surveillance Squadron No.3: based in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province
• Fisheries Resources Surveillance Squadron No.4

Equipment

Vessels

All vessels are numbered under the format KN-xyz, with the first digit ("x") of the hull number usually refer the squadron that the vessel belongs to. For example, the vessel KN-290 belongs to the Fisheries Surveillance Squadron No.2.

The surface fleet of Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance

Class	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Damen KN-2011 design (based on VCG's ĐN-2000 class/Damen OPV 9014 design)	Netherlands  Vietnam	4	KN-290 KN-390 KN-490 KN-491
Trường Sa-class (Spratly-class transport vessel)	Vietnam	3	KN-628 KN-629 KN-630
KN-750 design	Vietnam	50+	KN-26*, KN-27* KN-36*, KN-37* KN-46*, KN-47* Exact quantity unknown
KN-6000 design (a lighter-armed derivative of KN-750 design)		2	KN-168 KN-568
Koei, Hayato, Yuhzan-Maru, Fukuei (converted former Japanese fishing vessels)	Japan	6	KN-102, KN-198 KN-585, KN-586 KN-595, KN-596
TK-1482C design (a derivative of the naval/militia's TK-1482A/B fishing boat design)	Vietnam	72+	KN-20*, KN-21*, KN-22* KN-30*, KN-31*, KN-32* KN-40*, KN-41*, KN-42* KN-63*, KN-76*, KN-77* KN-8** Exact quantity unknown
KN-3600 design	Vietnam	5	KN-106, KN-108 KN-506, KN-508 (+1 more)

Armaments

Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance is allowed to use:^[5]

• Handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles (noticeably the 7.62mm AK), machine guns (noticeably the 12.7mm DShK/NSV and 14.5mm KPV). Appropriate to be used with remote controlled weapon stations^[6][7] and any suitable ammunition to the armaments, however the caliber is limited at 14.5mm.
• Non-lethal weapons such as non-lethal guns & ammunition, water cannons (especially noted in the Hai Yang Shi You 981 standoff),^[8] laser, tear gas & many non-lethal chemical weapons, baton, handcuffs, armors & self-protection gears.

See also

• Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries

References

1. "Nghị định số 102/2012/NĐ-CP của Chính phủ : Về tổ chức và hoạt động của Kiểm ngư" (in Vietnamese). Government of Vietnam's Electronic Portal. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
2. "Cục Kiểm ngư" (in Vietnamese). Directorate of Fisheries's Electronic Portal (Vietnam). Retrieved 4 June 2014.
3. "Chức năng nhiệm vụ và cơ cấu tổ chức" (PDF) (in Vietnamese). Directorate of Fisheries's Electronic Portal (Vietnam). 28 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
4. "Sẽ thành lập Chi cục Kiểm ngư vùng 2 ở Khánh Hòa" (in Vietnamese). VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
5. "Kiểm ngư được trang bị các loại vũ khí quân dụng nào?". ThuVienPhapLuat.vn (in Vietnamese). 27 July 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
6. Lee, Ann Quann (17 May 2022). "Seagull repellent". Twitter. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
7. Khắc Đông (21 April 2020). "Việt Nam phát triển hệ thống vũ khí tự động trên tàu kiểm ngư KN-272". Kiến Thức. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
8. ONLINE, TUOI TRE (12 May 2014). "Tàu Trung Quốc tấn công bằng vòi rồng, tàu Việt Nam đáp trả". Tuổi Trẻ Online (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 24 January 2023.