Deletion (Deregistration) Fees and Approval Requirements for Fishing Vessels
Circular #028
Date: January 23, 2026
From: Office of the Maritime Administrator, Vanuatu International Shipping Registry
To: Recognized Organizations, Shipowners, Operators, Masters, Agents, and All Concerned
1. Purpose
This Circular is issued to clarify and formalize the applicable fees and approval requirements for the deletion (deregistration) of fishing vessels registered under the Vanuatu flag, and to ensure proper coordination with the Department of Fisheries .
2. Deletion (Deregistration) Fee – Fishing Vessels
With immediate effect, the deletion (deregistration) fee for any fishing vessel registered in the Vanuatu International Shipping Registry (VISR) is set at:
USD 12,000 (twelve thousand United States dollars)
This fee is payable in addition to any other applicable fees or outstanding charges , including but not limited to:
· Annual registration fees;
· Annual Tonnage Tax (ATT), where applicable;
· Outstanding penalties or administrative charges.
3. Unilaterally Deleted Fishing Vessels
The deletion fee set out in Section 2 does not apply to fishing vessels that are unilaterally deleted by the Maritime Administrator .
For such unilaterally deleted fishing vessels, the previous deletion fee structure (“old formula”) shall continue to apply.
Unilateral deletion may occur, inter alia, in cases involving:
· Sanctions or serious compliance breaches;
· Failure to comply with registry, fisheries, or international obligations;
· Reputational or regulatory risk to the Vanuatu flag;
· Other grounds determined by the Maritime Administrator.
Circular #028
4. Mandatory Approval from the Department of Fisheries
As a reminder, no fishing vessel may be deleted from the VISR unless the Maritime Administrator has received the express written approval of the Department of Fisheries .
This requirement applies to:
· Owner-requested deletions;
· Deletions related to sale, transfer, or change of flag; and
· Any other voluntary deregistration request.
Deletion requests submitted without such approval will not be processed .
5. Compliance and Enforcement
Failure to comply with the requirements set out in this Circular may result in:
· Refusal to process the deletion request;
· Administrative penalties; and
· Any other enforcement action deemed appropriate by the Maritime Administrator.
6. Effective Date
This Circular is effective immediately upon issuance.
Saade Makhlouf
President & CEO
Office of the Maritime Administrator
Vanuatu International Shipping Registry