Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked for honest reporting and result-oriented efforts in the combat against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, with the dual aim of having the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood lifted and promoting a sustainable and responsible fisheries industry.
He made the request while chairing the 28th weekly meeting of the national steering committee for combating IUU fishing with representatives of 22 coastal provinces and cities on December 30.
The PM demanded completing thoroughly all the assigned tasks in the coming week, reporting honestly and objectively without formalism, standardising data across all levels, sectors and localities and, particularly, addressing the EC-flagged issues.
The Government leader told ministries and agencies to continue seriously submitting regular reports on results of the IUU fishing combat to the steering committee under the “six clarities” principle – detailing actions taken, results achieved, remaining obstacles, causes, individuals held accountable, and committed deadlines.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment was requested to gather feedback from other ministries and agencies, update data from localities, and finalise the report to be submitted to the EC by January 5, 2026. It was tasked with maintaining close contact with the EC to provide timely information upon request while reporting to the Government and the PM on matters beyond its authority.
The ministry will continue coordinating with other ministries and agencies to conduct inter-agency inspections of the fight against IUU fishing at the grassroots level, reporting the results, and proposing measures for managing logistics service vessels.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defence will maintain patrols in the waters adjacent to those of neighbouring countries, strictly control vessel arrivals and departures, and bar non-compliant fishing boats from operating. It was asked to order the border guard force to conduct examinations through the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT), with vessel owners and captains required to submit eCDT declarations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was demanded to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to promptly verify information on Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen detained abroad to enable local authorities to resolve the cases decisively.
Press agencies were urged to strengthen coverage of Vietnam’s efforts to combat IUU fishing.
Besides, the PM called on industry associations to take action by monitoring and requiring member businesses to refuse purchasing seafood of unknown origin, and to support fishermen in transitioning to alternative livelihoods.
The chairpersons of the People’s Committees of An Giang, Ca Mau, and Dak Lak provinces were asked to thoroughly handle violating vessels and report to the PM before January 5, 2026, while reviewing and clarifying those bearing responsibilities.
At the same time, the 15 coastal localities that have yet to issue plans on sustainable livelihood transition for fishermen must fulfil the task by January 6, 2026.
Reports at the meeting showed that over the past week, authorities examined 4,811 fishing vessel departures and 4,921 arrivals in accordance with regulations, and monitored 16,136 tonnes of seafood landed at ports through the eCDT system. As many as 252 seafood reception certificates, 43 statements of catch (SC), and seven catch certificates (CC) were issued via eCDT at 51 designated ports that meet criteria for certifying wild-caught seafood.
No Vietnamese fishing vessels were reported detained abroad during the week. Previous violations by businesses and vessels have been addressed resolutely while investigations continue into individuals and organisations involved to ensure strict compliance with legal regulations./.
