The 30th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing

At the Hung Yen provincial bridge point, the meeting saw the presence of Mr. Nguyen Hung Nam, the Provincial Party Committee’s Member, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, and Head of the Provincial Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing; and leaders of relevant departments and agencies.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Hung Nam and delegates attend the meeting at the Hung Yen province bridge point.

Delegates attend the meeting at the Hung Yen province bridge point.

According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, since the 29th session, ministries, central and local coastal agencies have continued to vigorously implement solutions to combat IUU fishing, focusing on addressing shortcomings and limitations identified during on-site inspections. The management of fishing vessels, vessel tracking, and traceability of seafood continues to be prioritized by local authorities. Functional forces maintain inspections and controls at fishing ports, resolutely prevent fishing vessels that do not meet regulations from departing; and simultaneously intensify patrols and strictly handle violations.

The results of inspections on the implementation of IUU fishing regulations in six provinces show that, alongside positive changes, some localities still have such shortcomings as: a high percentage of fishing vessels that have not installed or maintained vessel tracking devices; and untimely updating of fishing vessel data and catching figures. The handling of violations is not uniform across localities...

In Hung Yen province, the fight against IUU fishing in the second and third weeks of January 2026 continued to be implemented seriously and synchronously. As of January 23, 2026, the entire province had 733 fishing vessels of 6 meters or longer, 100% of which had been registered and fully updated in the national fisheries database; 729 fishing vessels were granted fishing licenses, reaching a rate of 99.5%.

From the beginning of 2026 until now, Hung Yen has continued to have no cases of fishing vessels violating vessel monitoring systems (VMS) such as prolonged loss of connection, exceeding permitted boundaries, or violating foreign waters. Functional forces maintain strict inspection and control at fishing ports and at sea; resolutely prevent fishing vessels that do not meet operating conditions from departing. In addition, Hung Yen province focuses on propaganda and training for fishermen; organizing classes to disseminate legal regulations and sign commitments not to violate IUU fishing; simultaneously reviewing and closely monitoring fishing vessels that do not meet the requirements, ensuring they do not participate in fishing at sea. These solutions contribute to preparing well for the 5th inspection by the European Commission (EC), aiming to work together with the whole country to remove the IUU "yellow card".

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the National Steering Committee on Combating IUU Fishing, Tran Hong Ha, requested ministries and agencies to continue to effectively carry out inspection and monitoring work, including establishing independent inspection teams to conduct inspections in localities until the EC inspection team arrives, focusing intensely on January and February 2026 with specific and detailed programs and plans. The content of inspection and monitoring is the responsibility of local authorities in implementing the central government's directives and the EC's recommendations.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and other ministries, sectors, and localities to continue reviewing and strictly managing the fishing fleet; strengthen the responsibility of local authorities in monitoring fishing vessels operating at sea, the origin of seafood, and strictly handle violations related to the fisheries sector. In particular, businesses exporting seafood to Europe must be responsible for self-inspecting and reporting information related to export shipments as required; and promote propaganda to raise awareness among fishermen about legal regulations related to combating IUU fishing. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will lead and coordinate in the development of fisheries transformation projects, including proposing policy frameworks to encourage this transformation, contributing to the sustainable development of the fisheries sector.