Border guards from the Quỳnh Phương Border Post inspect the vessel monitoring system (VMS) equipment on a fisherman's boat before departure. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Tý

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has ordered ministries and coastal localities to devote maximum time and resources to intensifying the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, warning that lingering violations threaten Việt Nam’s reputation, exports and fishermen’s livelihoods.

The demand is outlined in Directive 03/CĐ-TTg, which was sent on Tuesday to the Ministers of Agriculture and Environment, Defence, Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology, and Industry and Trade, as well as the Government Inspector General and leaders of 22 coastal provinces and cities.

The recipients are urged to act decisively to lift the European Union’s yellow card warning on Vietnamese seafood, a long-running obstacle that requires consistent political resolve and close coordination from central to local levels.

In recent years, Việt Nam’s efforts to curb IUU fishing have made clear progress. Awareness of compliance has improved among most fishermen and seafood enterprises. Vessel management has become more systematic, monitoring at sea has strengthened and traceability of seafood products is gradually taking shape. Detection, prevention and handling of violations have also improved.

Despite these gains, IUU fishing remains a direct threat to national prestige. It undermines seafood exports, one of Việt Nam’s key economic sectors, and damages the livelihoods of law-abiding operators.

Immediate action

The Prime Minister requires all relevant ministers and leaders of coastal provinces and cities to fully implement previous directives and related documents.

The Minister of Agriculture and Environment will take the lead, coordinating with the Ministries of Defence, Public Security and Justice and other agencies to establish inter-agency teams to conduct on-site inspections in localities.

These inspections must report to the Prime Minister by January 25 this year and will rigorously assess outcomes and the closure of cases, clearly identifying responsibility at every level. Key tasks include verifying the accuracy of local reports, ensuring no violations are missed and that penalties are appropriate.

Inspection teams will examine vessel fleet management, including registration, de-registration and the handling of boats without registration, technical standards or safety equipment at grassroots level.

They will review the implementation of fishing port development plans and stricter controls on vessel departures and arrivals to ensure compliance with regulations.

They will also focus on preventing and handling fraud in catch documentation, processing and exports, including irregularities along the supply chain from harvest to market.

Enterprise self-reporting and remediation for the EU and other markets will be checked for completeness, honesty and effectiveness, with cases referred for inspection or penalties if violations are found.

Progress on investigations into incursions into foreign waters will be reviewed, including the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination.

The vessel monitoring system will be examined, covering installation, maintenance, connectivity and operation.

Local fisheries databases will be assessed for updating, management, cross-checking and use in state oversight, sanctions, licensing and port controls.

Job transition policies will be reviewed, including beneficiary identification, implementation results and the effectiveness of livelihood support.

The Minister of Science and Technology, working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Public Security and telecommunications enterprises, must standardise and interconnect fisheries databases to ensure data are accurate, complete, clean and updated in real time.

Technical problems related to connectivity, data transmission, storage and sharing must be resolved quickly to enable effective vessel controls at ports.

The Minister of Defence is tasked with stepping up patrols in border waters adjacent to neighbouring countries to prevent Vietnamese vessels from straying into foreign seas.

Awareness campaigns will be intensified to guide captains and vessel owners on compliance with electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT).

The Minister of Public Security will speed up trials of brokers who organise illegal fishing trips to foreign waters and promptly conclude investigations into swordfish shipments flagged by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment at certain companies.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with foreign authorities and detained Vietnamese captains abroad to gather evidence and resolve violation cases conclusively, completing all work by January 25.

The Government Inspector General will prioritise inspections in selected localities, identify responsibility for shortcomings in IUU enforcement and submit reports through the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment by the same deadline.

Coastal provinces and cities must allocate sufficient resources to enforce IUU measures and bear full personal responsibility before the Government and the Prime Minister for penalties imposed and case closures.

They are required to comprehensively review closed cases to ensure they are legally sound, follow proper procedures and are not handled superficially. Deficient cases must be reopened, penalties imposed and responsible leaders disciplined.

Localities must respond immediately to inspection requests, remedy shortcomings, clarify accountability and submit reports by January 25.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as the standing body of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing, will coordinate with the Government Office to monitor progress, urge compliance, summarise results and report to the Prime Minister. — VNS