Prime Minister orders drastic action against IUU fishing

On November 11, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the 21^st meeting of the National Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, connected online to 21 coastal provinces and cities.

8 out of 22 localities have handled violations

Over the past week (from November 4-11), ministries, sectors, and coastal localities nationwide have implemented a series of measures in unison and achieved positive results in combating IUU fishing. Out of 66 assigned tasks, 31 have been completed. Accordingly, a specialized working group has been established to patrol, monitor, and intercept fishing vessels operating in foreign waters, helping prevent violations. Border guard forces have been strengthened to enhance the supervision of fishing vessels.

Efforts have also been made to ensure full interconnection and synchronization between the Ministry of National Defense’s monitoring database and the national seafood traceability system. The Ministry of Public Security has led inspection teams to review obstacles and difficulties encountered in handling administrative violations. Meanwhile, local police have accelerated the review, investigation, and handling of IUU-related fishing vessel violations, particularly those crossing boundaries.

Ministries and sectors have coordinated with 21 coastal localities to comprehensively review and update fishing vessel data in the VNeID database, while also investigating and handling organizations and individuals involved in the legalization of documentation.

Management and monitoring of fishing vessels continue to show remarkable improvement, with registration and updates on the national fisheries database reaching 99.9% of nearly 80,000 vessels. The number of vessels failing to meet operational requirements continues to decline. Localities have completed classification and compiled lists of vessels ineligible for registration or fishing licenses and assigned local governments and functional forces to monitor, manage, and prevent them from participating in fishing activities.

The handling of IUU fishing-related legal violations continues to show positive progress. To date, 8 out of 22 coastal localities have completed the resolution of outstanding administrative violation cases involving VMS connection loss and unauthorized boundary crossings. The Ministry of Public Security has initiated two new criminal cases involving two defendants, bringing the total number of cases prosecuted from October 1 to November 7, 2025, to 23 cases with 31 defendants. Cumulatively, from 2024 to November 7, 2025, authorities have prosecuted 88 criminal cases involving 132 defendants, and 44 cases with 90 defendants have been brought to trial.

Immediate end to "fishing at all costs"

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh commended ministries, sectors, and agencies, especially the armed forces, public security, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), and localities for their continued drastic action in combating IUU fishing, as well as their determination to remove the European Commission (EC)'s "yellow card" by 2025. The Prime Minister particularly praised the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense for basically completing their assigned tasks on schedule.

The Prime Minister requested that ministries, sectors, and localities thoroughly communicate the Prime Minister's directive to officials and Party members to resolutely combat all IUU fishing-related violations, with the aim of lifting the EC's "yellow card" imposed on Viet Nam's fisheries sector in 2025.

The Prime Minister also emphasized strict resolutions, conclusions, official telegrams, and directives of the Party, the Government, and the Prime Minister, particularly Decision No. 2310/QD-TTg dated October 17, 2025, on the action plan for the peak month of combating IUU fishing and promoting the sustainable development of Viet Nam’s fisheries sector, and Decision No. 2446/QD-TTg dated November 5, 2025, on the Inter-sectoral Coordination Regulation on Combating IUU Fishing.

Relevant agencies are required to urgently and rigorously update all data into fisheries databases, including the National Fisheries Database (VNFishbase), the Administrative Violation Handling System for the Fisheries Sector, the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), the Fisheries Administrative Violation Management System, and the Electronic Catch Documentation and Traceability System (eCDT). All data must be accurate, complete, clean, and real-time, ensuring consistency and integration to enable methodical, timely, and seamless fisheries management.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the MAE to coordinate with the Ministry of National Defense to immediately implement the Inter-sectoral Coordination Regulation on Combating IUU Fishing. At the same time, chair and coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to promptly finalize the scenarios and technical plans for working with the EC. Inspect and guide all localities in thoroughly preparing the contents for working with the EC's fifth inspection delegation. Maintain regular communication, fully exchange information, and provide the EC with all necessary information.

In addition, the MAE is assigned to chair and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction to strictly control seafood materials imported into Vietnam under the PSMA Agreement and via container shipments, ensuring the complete prevention of IUU-caught seafood from entering the Vietnamese market. The ministries must also fully complete the documentation on catch traceability and the national fisheries database, publicly announce them in mass media, and ensure completion before November 15.

The Ministry of National Defense is tasked with chairing and coordinating with the MAE, other ministries, sectors, and 21 coastal localities to immediately implement the Inter-sectoral Coordination Regulation on Combating IUU Fishing. The Ministry of Public Security is assigned to finalize and launch an application for managing fishing vessels and fishermen operating through the VNeID platform, to be completed before November 15, 2025. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to advance negotiations and the signing of agreements on marine fisheries cooperation and to establish a unified mechanism for monitoring the fishing activities of Vietnamese vessels.

The Prime Minister also directed coastal provinces and cities with fishing fleets to firmly grasp local situations and provide strong, comprehensive, and effective leadership in implementing anti-IUU fishing measures. He emphasized that no violations or misconduct should undermine the country’s overall efforts. Localities must maintain strict control over all fishing vessels entering and leaving ports in accordance with regulations, resolutely prohibit unregistered or ineligible vessels from operating, and update weekly lists of fishing vessels at high risk of violating IUU fishing regulations.

Particularly, provinces and cities that have not yet handled outstanding administrative violation cases related to VMS connection loss or boundary crossings must urgently complete this work before November 16, 2025, and clarify the responsibility of collectives, individuals, and heads of agencies or units that fail to meet the deadline. Localities must also urgently fulfill 19 ongoing tasks and rigorously update all data into national fisheries databases. Strict penalties must be imposed on all fishing vessels that violate VMS regulations, cross boundaries, operate in foreign waters, or fail to unload catches at designated ports as required.

Fisheries associations and enterprises are required to fully comply with the ban on purchasing, processing, or exporting seafood products derived from IUU fishing. They are encouraged to promote and recognize exemplary members and fishermen who comply with regulations on combating IUU fishing. Associations and businesses should also proactively and closely coordinate with relevant agencies to investigate, verify, and strictly handle all organizations, individuals, and enterprises engaged in illegal activities or aiding or abetting IUU fishing practices.