Synchronized Implementation of Enhanced Measures to Combat IUU Fishing
	Quang Ngai: Fining 22 Fishing Vessels for Violating IUU Regulations

According to the Government Portal, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to update regulations on the decentralization of managing fishing vessels of 24 meters or more from the central to local levels, particularly regarding the authority to impose administrative sanctions and monitor and manage data, when revising Decree No. 37/2024/NĐ-CP amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 26/2019/NĐ-CP detailing several articles and measures for implementing the Fisheries Law.

The 22nd meeting of the National Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. (Photo: Government Portal)

Regarding the national fisheries database, the Deputy Prime Minister directed the urgent completion of the proposal to build a synchronized, unified, interconnected, and shared national fisheries data system before December 31. The system must ensure data that is “accurate, complete, clean, and live” and fully serve management operations, traceability, and vessel monitoring, with “clear decentralization to allow each relevant group, including citizens, to access and declare information.” The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment was assigned to take the lead and coordinate with technical experts to design the system’s architecture, functions, and access levels.

The Deputy Prime Minister tasked the Government Inspectorate with reviewing all legal tools and administrative sanctioning mechanisms for handling IUU violations, selecting several localities for inspection and guidance to ensure that 100% of outstanding cases are resolved.

Local authorities were instructed to review fishing vessels, ensure each vessel has its own dataset, control vessels eligible for operation, revoke licenses of expired or non-compliant vessels, and implement support measures for fishermen.

Regarding port management, localities must coordinate with the Ministry of National Defense and the Border Guard to identify qualified fishing ports and support private ports in completing necessary procedures, moving toward automating registration and certification processes for the origin of caught seafood.

In the long term, ministries, sectors, and localities need to assess livelihood transition options for fishermen, develop sustainable fisheries policies, and link responsible exploitation with natural carrying capacity, while promoting offshore high-tech aquaculture and cooperation in fishing activities in international waters.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as of November 15, the total number of fishing vessels registered and updated in the National Fisheries Database (VNFishbase) was 79,360 out of 79,360 vessels (100%), with 76,811 out of 79,360 vessels licensed for exploitation.

Fishing vessels that do not meet operational conditions have been monitored by localities and assigned to communes/wards and responsible officers based on mooring locations.

During the week, no fishing vessels violating foreign waters were detained. The Ministry of Public Security initiated three criminal cases involving four defendants and brought five cases involving twelve defendants to trial. Cumulatively, from early 2024 to November 15, 2025, the police initiated 91 criminal cases involving IUU violations, prosecuted 136 defendants, and brought 48 cases involving 101 defendants to trial.

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