Vietnamese vessels continue to conduct illegal fishing in the North Natuna Sea, despite the recent agreement of exclusive economic zone boundaries with Indonesia. The Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative identified 155 Vietnamese fishing vessels in the disputed area in February. Both countries have yet to announce their exact coordinates for the EEZ boundary lines, so it is unclear whether the Vietnamese vessels have overstepped them, though the IOJI predicts they have.

Despite the recent agreement between Indonesia and Vietnam to demarcate their exclusive economic zone (EEZ) boundaries, Vietnamese fishing vessels have been spotted operating illegally in the disputed waters of the North Natuna Sea, according to a report by maritime think-tank Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI). The IOJI observed 81 Vietnamese vessels operating in the area in January and 155 in February. The think-tank predicts the EEZ boundary lines will be in the north of the Indonesia-Vietnam continental shelf line. At least eight Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance (VFRS) vessels have also been detected along the Indonesia-Vietnam continental shelf boundary since December. The agreement has yet to come into effect, but both countries are expected to exercise self-restraint and maintain a conducive environment in the disputed waters in line with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.