Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà chairs the meeting with the steering committee on combating IUU fishing on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà has requested ministries, agencies, and localities to maintain rigorous review of the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, not only in terms of administrative sanctions but also through inspections that verify the full delivery of directives issued by the Government, the PM, and the steering committee on combating IUU Fishing.

Chairing the committee’s 31st meeting in Hà Nội on Tuesday, which virtually connected with 22 coastal localities, Hà stressed the urgency of fixing inconsistencies and gaps in data across different systems. Only unified, accurate, and immediately defensible information will enable Việt Nam to successfully clear the European Commission (EC)’s fifth inspection round.

Local authorities were directed to deliver complete, precise reporting on their assigned responsibilities, placing particular focus on correcting every deficiency identified in previous inspections and audits. Evasive answers or attempts to sidestep accountability will not be accepted.

They must finalise traceability documentation and self-declaration reports for seafood processing and export enterprises while tightening control over fishing fleets, especially vessels that remain unregistered, lack inspection certificates or fishing licences, or have lost connectivity to the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment was tasked with leading coordination among relevant ministries, agencies, and Việt Nam’s overseas missions to rapidly develop a detailed working agenda for the EC inspection team.

The agenda must clearly define the scope, subjects, goals, requirements, and preparatory documents, with explicit assignment of responsibilities to each agency, unit, and individual involved. All ministries, agencies, and localities must prepare comprehensive documentation and ready personnel to engage effectively with the inspection team at both policy and technical levels.

Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trần Đức Thắng reported that the ministry has held technical discussions with the EC and updated progress on IUU fishing countermeasures in accordance with European requirements. The ministry has also compiled a comprehensive report on IUU fishing prevention and control efforts dating back to 2017.

The ministry also decided on a peak inspection plan to review anti-IUU fishing tasks in Cà Mau, An Giang, HCM City, Gia Lai, Lâm Đồng, Đắk Lắk, Quảng Ngãi, Huế, Cần Thơ, Đà Nẵng, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Quảng Trị, Khánh Hòa and Vĩnh Long from now until March 9, 2026. The plan mirrors the content and methodology the EC is expected to employ during its own on-site evaluations.

Chairpersons of the people’s committees of 22 coastal localities with concentrated fleets were asked to intensify inspections of IUU fishing countermeasures and prepare for working sessions with the EC’s fifth inspection team.

To date, 100 per cent of locally registered fishing vessels nationwide have been fully updated in the VNFishbase database, he added. — VNA/VNS