Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 16 chaired the 26th meeting of the National Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, underscoring that Secretaries of Party Committees and Chairpersons of People’s Committees at all levels must bear direct responsibility if IUU fishing violations occur in their localities.
The meeting, held at the Government headquarters and connected online with 21 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, leaders of ministries, central agencies, and coastal localities. It was a regular weekly session of the steering committee aimed at reviewing progress and defining next steps to eradicate IUU fishing and promote sustainable fisheries development.
After hearing reports from ministries and local authorities, PM Chinh praised the active engagement and initial results achieved in recent times. However, he stressed that combating IUU fishing is a political task that requires the entire political system to act decisively, for the country’s reputation and international credibility, for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector, and for the long-term livelihoods of fishermen.
He called for continued review and improvement of the legal framework to ensure strong, deterrent sanctions capable of decisively ending IUU violations. He pointed out that weaknesses in grasping the situation and managing fishing vessels and fishing communities remain in some areas, and clarified that this is the responsibility of grassroots authorities.
PM Chinh requested the Government Inspectorate to promptly identify localities that lack determination or fail to handle violations thoroughly, including cases where vessels not meeting legal requirements are still allowed to leave ports, and to clarify responsibilities and impose sanctions without delay.
Emphasising the need for immediate results, the PM demanded strict handling of deliberate violations within the coming week. He also urged the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations, the media, and the public to join efforts in condemning IUU fishing.
Local authorities were also asked to work with the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) to address enterprises involved in importing illegally-sourced aquatic products.
On livelihoods and occupational transition for fishermen, PM Chinh noted that only seven out of the 21 coastal localities have issued relevant policies, hence he ordered the remainders to complete such policies within five days.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, ministries and sectors have finalised a draft directive of the PM on the resolute implementation of tasks and solutions to combat IUU fishing and promote the sustainable development of Vietnam’s fisheries sector. Inter-sectoral inspection teams have been deployed to check IUU fishing prevention efforts in many provinces and cities.
Relevant ministries and agencies have coordinated to establish a working group to finalise reports and prepare plans for online technical discussions with the European Commission (EC), as well as the necessary content and conditions for both online and in-person meetings with the EC. They have provided localities and related agencies with full information on the shipments suspected of IUU-related violations, and completed the standardisation of the national fisheries database for presentation to the EC inspection mission.
At present, 100% of fishing vessels nationwide – 79,231 boats – have been registered and updated on the VnFishbase system. Those deemed unfit for operation are under strict control, with management responsibilities assigned to commune-level authorities and relevant forces overseeing mooring locations.
Over the past week, authorities examined 3,165 vessel departures and 3,056 arrivals at ports in accordance with regulations, and monitored 8,765 tonnes of seafood landed through ports via the electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) system.
Regarding seafood traceability, 319 port landing receipts were issued at 51 designated fishing ports eligible to certify raw materials from capture fisheries. In parallel, authorities inspected five import dossiers for 303,808 kg of seafood. Notably, vessels previously violating foreign waters have been handled strictly, the ministry noted./.
