Accelerating Fight Against IUU Fishing: Completing All Tasks Before December 15

	Coordinating to Effectively Implement the Peak Campaign Against IUU Fishing
	Quang Ngai Steps Up Measures to Combat IUU Fishing

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized that although the national peak month for IUU prevention has concluded, the goal of having the European Commission (EC) lift the “yellow card” on Vietnam’s seafood sector has not yet been achieved, requiring more decisive actions in the coming period.

From now until December 15 is a critical deadline to complete tasks and address outstanding issues related to IUU prevention and control.

The 24th meeting of the National Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. (Photo: Government Portal)

Relevant ministries and agencies must continue reviewing and thoroughly evaluating data on violating fishing vessels, particularly those arrested for illegal fishing or intruding into foreign waters; provide clear explanations for discrepancies between Vietnam’s data and that of the EC; and clarify objective reasons.

Localities are responsible for administrative and criminal handling of cases involving fishing vessels detained overseas. Agencies must provide invoices, asset-confiscation records, revoked licenses, and photographic evidence to demonstrate that penalties have been fully enforced.

Cases that cannot be handled due to expired statute of limitations or special circumstances must be clearly explained. The goal is to process 100% of violations while ensuring openness and transparency with the EC and the international community. Accordingly, inspection must be comprehensive, not just on paper but also through field verification, evaluating data related to criminal and administrative sanctions, especially the installation and maintenance of VMS connectivity, enforcement of penalties, issuance of certificates of origin, management of fishing ports, and the number of vessels ineligible for operation to ensure accurate and transparent data.

Regarding the National Fisheries Database (VNFishbase), the Deputy Prime Minister requested that within this week, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment take the lead in reviewing, developing, and finalizing regulations on data exploitation and management and in reviewing and completing related procedures. The regulations must clearly define who is allowed to participate, what functions each user can access, and the responsibilities of each user. In particular, vessel owners and captains must be responsible for fishing logs, tracking voyage routes, and declaring catches. This data will serve licensing, certification, and related administrative procedures.

The Deputy Prime Minister assigned Viettel and VNPT to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to review VNFishbase and develop a comprehensive national database covering both capture fisheries and aquaculture. Localities must evaluate the operation of VNFishbase, pilot and provide additional guidelines for private ports participating in vessel management and certification. In addition, localities must soon submit to the Government livelihood-transition projects for fisheries transformation, including offshore high-tech aquaculture and the development of service and tourism industries.

Regarding international standards for the fisheries sector, the Deputy Prime Minister requested ministries, agencies, and VASEP to continue reviewing and amending the Fisheries Law to ensure alignment with the legal requirements of the United States, the European Union, and other countries.

Concerning coordination in dialogue and working sessions with international partners such as the EC and the United States, the Deputy Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice to assign staff with legal and language expertise to support the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Reports and data must be fully and transparently prepared and ready for testing by the EC.

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