PM insists on honest reporting, substantive action against IUU fishing
(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged honest reporting and result-oriented efforts in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, with the dual goals of having the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood lifted and promoting a sustainable, responsible fisheries sector.
 PM Pham Minh Chinh chairs a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing, Hanoi, December 30, 2025. |
He made the request while chairing a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing on Tuesday.
“We must restructure the fisheries sector toward healthy, substantive, long-term and sustainable development. Data must be standardized across sectors and localities, especially on issues raised by the European Commission (EC), to ensure accurate reporting,” the Prime Minister said.
He asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to submit Vietnam’s anti-IUU fishing report to the EC by next Monday and maintain close coordination with the bloc to provide timely information upon request.
The Ministry of National Defense was tasked with maintaining patrols in waters adjacent to neighboring countries, strictly controlling vessel departures and arrivals, and barring non-compliant fishing boats from operating.
The Prime Minister also instructed the 15 coastal localities that have yet to issue plans for sustainable livelihood transition for fishermen to complete the task by next Tuesday.
Reports at the meeting showed that over the past week, authorities inspected nearly 10,000 fishing vessel movements and monitored more than 16,000 tonnes of seafood landed at ports via the eCDT system.