Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 21 chaired the 18th meeting of the National Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, commending ministries and localities for their recent progress while urging stronger, more decisive actions to completely end IUU violations.
The online meeting, which was connected with 21 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities, was a regular sitting held on every Tuesday to intensify efforts in the fight against IUU fishing.
At its 17th meeting on October 14, the PM assigned 21 urgent tasks to ministries, agencies and localities to end IUU fishing. So far, eight have been completed, including the issuance of an official dispatch and an action plan for the peak month against IUU fishing, guidance on port announcements, amendments to administrative sanctions in the fisheries sector, updated reports to the European Commission, enhanced communication efforts, and the development of livelihood transition programmes for fishermen.
Eleven tasks are being implemented, such as inspection of imported aquatic products, professional training on vessel monitoring systems (VMS), developing regulations for data management and supervision, improving traceability, and expanding international cooperation. Two tasks have yet to be completed, including sending a working delegation to Malaysia to enhance cooperation in this field, and conducting comprehensive inspections of key localities.
At the 18th session, the steering committee reviewed the progress of each task, scrutinising the performance of ministries, sectors and provinces, particularly those lagging behind in vessel management, monitoring and law enforcement.
In his conclusion, PM Chinh commended the committee for maintaining consistent reporting and weekly meetings but noted that no significant breakthroughs had yet been achieved.
He stressed that the fight against IUU fishing serves the interests of the people, the sustainable development of the fisheries sector, and national interests. Every citizen and public official must act responsibly and effectively.
The Government leader requested the committee’s standing body and the Government Office to compile weekly reports on IUU prevention outcomes to evaluate and rank the performance of collectives and individuals within the political system, particularly leaders.
He emphasised that heads of ministries, agencies and localities would be held directly accountable before the Government and the Prime Minister if violations recur or progress in lifting the EC’s “yellow card” remains slow.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with the Government Office, was tasked with consolidating reports from ministries and provinces and submitting updated progress reports to the European Commission.
The PM acknowledged progress in licensing and VMS installation but criticised delays, noting thousands of unlicensed or unregistered vessels and incomplete traceability systems. He ordered ministries and localities to finish vessel and port licensing, ensure full VMS connections, and complete fisheries data and traceability records within the week.
The Government leader reiterated that the Party and State’s ultimate goal is to safeguard national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, while ensuring a prosperous, peaceful life for people. However, any legal violations must be strictly dealt with to preserve national credibility and long-term sectoral sustainability.
He directed the MAE to issue temporary criteria for IUU-compliant ports within the coming week; coordinate with relevant ministries to prepare technical evidence for the EC's fifth inspection round; and collaborate with media agencies and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) to strengthen communication efforts on Vietnam’s actions to combat IUU fishing and remove the EC’s yellow card.
The PM assigned specific tasks to several ministries while urged coastal provinces and cities to announce IUU-compliant ports by October 30 and resolve all remaining violations, including VMS disconnections and boundary-crossing cases, by October 31.
He called on the media to enhance public and international awareness of responsible fishing, and encouraged businesses and associations to reject IUU-sourced products while recognising those adhering to regulations.
Finally, the PM requested ministries and localities to develop livelihood transition and vocational programmes for fishermen./.
