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The official dispatch was sent to the Ministers of Agriculture and Environment; National Defense; Public Security; Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology, Industry and Trade; the Inspector General of the Government; and the Secretaries of provincial and municipal Party Committees, as well as the Chairpersons of People’s Committees of 22 coastal provinces and cities.

According to the dispatch, efforts to combat IUU fishing have recorded positive changes in recent times. Legal compliance awareness among the majority of fishermen and enterprises has improved, while the management of fishing vessels, monitoring of activities at sea, and traceability of seafood products have gradually been put on a more orderly footing. The detection, prevention, and handling of violations have also seen clear progress.

Prime Minister: No Reporting of “100% Completion” When IUU Issues Have Not Been Fully Resolved. (Illustrative photo: VGP)

However, the Prime Minister stressed that IUU fishing remains a direct challenge to national credibility, seafood exports, and the livelihoods of law-abiding fishermen. Therefore, there must be no complacency or formalistic implementation, and no loopholes or gaps in organization and law enforcement should be allowed to arise.

Combating IUU fishing and securing the removal of the European Commission’s (EC) “yellow card” warning were identified as particularly important and urgent tasks, requiring the highest level of political determination and synchronized, decisive action from the central level to grassroots authorities. The Prime Minister firmly requested that no small group of organizations or individuals be allowed to deliberately violate the law for personal gain, or to take advantage of, facilitate, or cover up violations that could undermine the country’s image on the international stage.

Establishment of an Inter-sectoral Inspection Team, Report Due by January 25, 2026

The Prime Minister requested ministries, sectors, and localities to continue thoroughly grasping and strictly implementing Directive No. 32-CT/TW dated April 10, 2024, of the Secretariat, along with related instructions; to resolutely “declare war” on IUU fishing; and to mobilize maximum time and resources to carry out key and urgent tasks.

Accordingly, the Minister of Agriculture and Environment was assigned to take the lead, in coordination with the Ministries of National Defense, Public Security, Justice, and relevant agencies, to establish an inter-sectoral inspection team to conduct inspections in coastal localities. The inspections will focus on a substantive assessment of results in “closing case files,” clarifying the responsibilities of each level, agency, unit, and individual, and consolidating findings for submission to the Prime Minister no later than January 25, 2026.

Inspection contents will focus on the management of the fishing vessel fleet; monitoring of fishing activities; the establishment and operation of fishing ports; control of vessel departures and arrivals; prevention and control of fraud across the seafood harvesting–procurement–processing–export chain; investigation and handling of illegal fishing cases in foreign waters; installation and maintenance of vessel monitoring systems (VMS); operation of fisheries databases; and the effectiveness of policies on occupational transition and livelihood support for fishermen.

Completing Fisheries Technical Infrastructure and Data That Are “Accurate, Complete, Clean, and Live”

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Science and Technology to take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Public Security, and telecommunications enterprises, to standardize and interconnect fisheries databases. The task includes finalizing technical solutions to ensure the vessel monitoring system (VMS) and related data platforms operate stably, synchronously, and interoperably, meeting requirements for fishing vessel management, violation handling, traceability, and consolidated reporting.

The Ministry of National Defense is to continue strengthening patrols and controls in bordering maritime areas to prevent fishing vessels from violating foreign waters; strictly manage fishing vessels entering and leaving through border guard stations; and step up communication and guidance for fishermen on the implementation of the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT) in accordance with regulations.

The Ministry of Public Security was requested to urgently investigate and bring to trial cases involving brokerage and facilitation of illegal fishing by vessels and fishermen in foreign waters, and to decisively handle organizations and individuals involved in violations related to seafood export consignments, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to coordinate with competent authorities of host countries to investigate, collect evidence, and thoroughly resolve cases involving fishermen’s violations, with completion required by January 25, 2026.

No Reporting of “100% Completion” When Issues Have Not Been Fully Resolved

The Prime Minister requested Secretaries of provincial and municipal Party Committees to directly instruct Chairpersons of People’s Committees of coastal provinces and cities to assume full responsibility before the Government and the Prime Minister for administrative sanctioning and the “closure of case files” in combating IUU fishing.

Local authorities must review all closed case files to ensure strict compliance with legal grounds, procedures, and processes; and resolutely reject any formalistic closure of cases, cases without penalties, or penalties imposed in violation of regulations. Where violations are detected, cases must be re-processed, and the responsibilities of relevant organizations and individuals, especially heads of agencies, must be reviewed. Under no circumstances should reports claim “100% completion” when issues have not been thoroughly resolved in practice.

In addition, localities are required to allocate sufficient resources for the substantive implementation of eCDT systems, electronic logbooks, and fisheries data updates; review seafood consignments exported to the EU; harmonize data on fishing vessels entering and leaving ports among forces and data systems; and develop and approve local projects on sustainable fisheries development, submitting reports to the Prime Minister by January 25, 2026.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the standing body of the National Steering Committee on IUU, was assigned to take the lead, in coordination with the Government Office, to inspect, urge implementation, consolidate results, and report to the Prime Minister on the execution of the Official Dispatch.

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