The Prime Minister requests drastic implementation of the peak month against IUU fishing. (Photo: VOV)

Speaking at the 21st meeting of the National Steering Committee on Anti-IUU Fishing on Tuesday, connecting 21 coastal provinces and cities, the Prime Minister requested all localities to completely resolve IUU violations by next week, noting that the European Commission (EC) is closely monitoring progress. He stressed that tangible results and real changes on the ground are essential.

He said: "The heads of ministries and provincial authorities will be held fully responsible before the Government and the Prime Minister if violations continue or if progress on lifting the EC’s "yellow card" is delayed. They must maintain the highest level of focus and leadership to enforce the peak-month campaign against IUU fishing; immediately put an end to all illegal fishing activities at any cost; and build a responsible, fully traceable fishing industry for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s fisheries sector, for the nation’s reputation, and for the benefit of the people themselves.”

He urged ministries and localities to promptly update all fisheries information into national databases, including the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), the administrative violation system, and the seafood traceability system. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Ministry of National Defense are tasked to implement the new inter-sectoral coordination regulations on anti-IUU efforts. Localities must prepare thoroughly for the EC’s 5th inspection mission, especially key provinces such as An Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa, and Gia Lai.

The Ministry of Public Security will finalize and put into use a new fishing vessel and crew management application integrated into VNeID before Nov 15. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue negotiations on bilateral cooperation in fisheries and on a unified mechanism for monitoring Vietnamese fishing activities abroad.

Between Nov 4–11, ministries and localities completed 31 out of 66 assigned tasks and established specialized task forces to patrol, monitor, and prevent Vietnamese vessels from violating foreign waters. Coastal provinces accelerated the review and handling of IUU violations, particularly boundary-crossing cases, and completed the verification of fishing vessels in the VNeID national digital ID system.