The 20th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

The meeting drew the attendance of Comrade Tran Hong Ha, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the National Steering Committee on Combating IUU Fishing and members of the Steering Committee. The meeting was connected online to 21 bridge points in coastal provinces and cities across the country.

At the provincial bridge point, the meeting saw the presence of Comrade Nguyen Hung Nam, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee on Combating IUU Fishing; members of the Provincial Steering Committee.

Comrade Nguyen Hung Nam, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee on Combating IUU Fishing; members of the Provincial Steering Committee attend the meeting at the provincial bridge point.

According to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, from the 19th meeting to now, ministries, branches and localities across the country have simultaneously launched operations, strictly controlled the fleet, resolutely handled violations and promoted the digitization of fisheries data. Up to now, the whole country has had more than 28,000 fishing vessels installed VMS, accounting for more than 99% of the vessels required for installment according to regulations. Along with that, functional forces in localities have also stepped up the implementation of thoroughly handling acts of disconnecting VMS, violating fishing boundaries at sea, and violating foreign waters. Many localities have been showing great determination, thoroughly handling violations; applying technology, digital transformation through the electronic tracing system (eCDT) to remove the IUU "yellow card".

Along with the whole country, Hung Yen province is also determined to effectively implement the peak month against IUU fishing, towards sustainable fisheries development. According to the report of the Department of Agriculture and Environment from October 25 to November 3, the work of preventing and combating IUU fishing in the area continued to achieve positive results, with no fishing vessels losing connection, crossing the border or violating foreign waters.

During the week, the Department advised the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board to issue a Directive on implementing Official Dispatch No. 198/CD-TTg and Decision No. 2310/QD-TTg dated October 17, 2025 of the Prime Minister on "The peak month against illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing and sustainable development of Vietnam's fisheries industry"; at the same time, the Department developed a provincial action plan to organize unified and synchronous implementation.

The provincial authorities have coordinated with localities to review and match ship owner information, identify 100% of fishing vessels on the VNeID system; inspect and control 405 ships leaving and entering ports, monitor the output through the port reaching more than 222 tons; guide fishermen to make electronic declarations via the eCDT VN software.

To continue to improve efficiency, in the coming time, Hung Yen province has proposed 10 key groups of tasks, including continuing to strengthen propaganda, strictly manage the fleet, strictly enforce fisheries laws, ensure electronic traceability, promote the role of the grassroots IUU steering committee and carefully prepare for the 5th inspection by the European Commission (EC) in Vietnam. At the same time, speed up the announcement of the opening of Tan Son fishing port, upgrade storm shelters...

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ministries, branches, localities, and members of the steering committees at all levels to strictly implement the Government's directives; strengthen control of work in the digital environment, ensure connectivity, and be decisive. Ministries, branches, and localities review and strictly manage the number of fishing vessels registered and installed with VMS. Functional forces increase patrols, control, and strictly handle vessels and boats that violate the law in fishing at sea. For vessels that do not meet the requirements, localities will isolate, complete the records, and handle them according to regulations, ensuring that fishing vessel data is "correct, sufficient, clean, and alive". The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will speed up the completion of records to trace the origin of national fisheries data, and publicly announce them on mass media. Localities that have not completed the procedures for licensing fishing vessels must urgently complete them according to the set schedule, resolutely not allowing fishing vessels that have not been licensed or do not meet the licensing conditions to participate in fishing activities at sea. Central and local press agencies must increase information and propaganda in an objective, accurate and timely manner on the activities against IUU fishing.

The Prime Minister requested ministries, branches and localities to thoroughly grasp the viewpoint that all work related to combating IUU fishing must be carried out resolutely and substantially, taking effectiveness as a measure of task completion; at the same time, ensuring full conditions to welcome the EC Inspection Delegation.

* Speaking at the provincial bridge point, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to coordinate with departments, branches and localities to prepare working contents, ready to welcome the EC Inspection Delegation to work in Vietnam in the coming time. Heads of departments, branches and localities are responsible to the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee if they fail to complete their tasks as well as allow violations of anti-IUU fishing to occur in their fields and areas of responsibility and management.