DOF to mandate QR codes for deep sea fishing vessels starting 2026

KUANTAN: The Fisheries Department (DOF) will require all vessels operating in the Deep Sea Fishing Sector (Zone C2) to install Quick Response (QR) Codes starting in 2026, said its director-general Datuk Adnan Hussain.

He said the installation of the QR Codes would be extended to Zone C fishing vessels, and its implementation alongside the Vessel Identification System (VIS) would aid the department in combating illegal fishing activities in Malaysian waters.

“The launch of VIS has helped the DOF address illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Malaysia, including the cloning of local vessels and the leakage of fisheries resources to neighbouring countries.

“This is evident from an incident in January 2022 in Thailand, where five local vessels were seized by the country’s enforcement authorities. The identification of four of these local vessels was confirmed through the QR Code plates installed on them,” he said in a statement.

The DOF launched the system today at the national-level Deep Sea Fishing Industry Consultative Programme here.

Adnan said the VIS was developed by DOF in 2020 to verify the authenticity of local vessels at a cost of RM602,500 and this year, the system has been improved in terms of its durability and security design.

“A total of 301 out of 500 C2 vessels in Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Perak, Penang, Johor, Kedah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan have been equipped with the system.

“Monitoring is carried out by the DOF and enforcement agencies through the VIS application, which is integrated with the department’s existing systems, namely the Malaysian Fishing Vessel Record and e-Licence, to assist in verifying the authenticity of local vessels licensed by the DOF,” he said.