Can Tho Boosts Coordinated Communication to Stop IUU Fishing
	Prevention of IUU Fishing: Violation Resolution and Honest Reporting

According to the Government’s electronic newspaper, the meeting focused on reviewing the implementation of tasks assigned by the Government leadership to ministries, sectors, and localities over the past week. These included drafting and finalizing the report to the European Commission (EC); managing fishing vessels and monitoring fishing activities, especially vessels not eligible to operate and “three-no” vessels; handling fishing vessels and fishermen violating foreign waters; port entry and exit control, eCDT implementation and seafood traceability; and information and communication on Vietnam’s efforts to combat IUU fishing. However, progress on several tasks assigned by the Prime Minister had not shown improvement compared to the previous week.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the 28th meeting of the National Steering Committee on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. (Photo: VGP)

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for the strict implementation of directives, conclusions, and instructions of the Secretariat, the Government, and the Prime Minister on combating IUU fishing, ensuring honesty, objectivity, and substance. He stressed that the work should not merely serve reporting to the EC, but pursue the dual goals of lifting the EC yellow card and developing Vietnam’s fisheries sector in a sustainable and responsible manner, with a strong shift from capture fishing to aquaculture.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the focus in the coming week is to resolve all assigned tasks thoroughly; submit truthful, objective reports to the EC without formality or chasing achievements; and standardize data across levels, sectors, and localities, particularly on issues highlighted in EC recommendations.

He required ministries and sectors to strictly comply with periodic reporting on IUU implementation results to the Steering Committee under the principle of “six clarities”: what has been done, what results have been achieved, what difficulties remain, why they persist, who is responsible, and committed completion timelines.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment was tasked with incorporating comments from ministries and sectors, updating local data to finalize the report and submit it to the EC before January 5, 2026. It is to continue regular exchanges and close coordination with the EC to promptly provide information when requested, and report to the Government and the Prime Minister on issues beyond its authority.

Regarding the draft Directive of the Prime Minister on strengthening leadership and providing resolute, comprehensive, and effective direction for IUU prevention and control, the Prime Minister requested updates reflecting recent instructions from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers at Steering Committee meetings, completion of the draft, and submission for issuance before January 10, 2026.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will continue to lead, in coordination with ministries and sectors, inter-agency inspection missions on IUU prevention and control at the local level, and report results in writing. It will also propose solutions for managing the group of fisheries logistics service vessels, including recommendations to address any legal obstacles.

The Ministry of Public Security will continue directing investigations and the thorough handling of cases related to 32 fraudulent swordfish consignments and related organizations and individuals, and promptly report to the Steering Committee.

The Ministry of National Defense will maintain patrols and controls in sea areas adjacent to other countries; strictly control fishing vessel departures and arrivals; and resolutely prohibit departures by vessels that do not meet operating requirements. Border guard forces are to conduct checks via the electronic seafood traceability system (eCDT) and guide vessel owners and captains on mandatory eCDT declarations from January 1, 2026.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to finalize the format and language of the report to the EC in line with international standards; assign experienced and qualified officials to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to complete a report of the highest quality. It will urgently work to verify and unify information on cases of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen detained abroad so that localities can resolve them thoroughly.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue directing media agencies to strengthen information and communication on Vietnam’s efforts against IUU fishing, focusing communications on key priorities.

Industry associations are required to actively participate, demand and supervise enterprises to firmly refuse purchasing seafood of unclear origin, and support fishermen in occupational transition.

Localities are to update IUU prevention and control results as of December 31, 2025, and submit them on time to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for consolidation. They must review and thoroughly resolve cases related to VMS and boundary violations, take responsibility for case closure, and implement eCDT synchronously at ports and landing sites while guiding declarations in accordance with regulations from January 1, 2026.

Chairpersons of the People’s Committees of An Giang, Ca Mau, and Dak Lak provinces were instructed to direct the thorough handling of violating fishing vessels and report to the Prime Minister before January 5, 2026, and to conduct accountability reviews.

The Prime Minister required the remaining 15 of 22 localities to issue plans for occupational transition and sustainable livelihoods for fishermen before January 6, 2026. If this task is not completed in the following week, leaders and heads of provinces and cities will be held accountable before the Party, the Government, and the people.

At the same time, the entire political system is to be mobilized to call for and promote greater awareness of legal compliance and voluntary adherence among the public.

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