The meeting was connected online with 21 coastal provinces and cities.

The Prime Minister required weekly progress reports from ministries and agencies, to be compiled into a report for the Politburo. He emphasized clear accountability following the “six clarities” principle: clear responsibility, clear tasks, clear authority, clear timelines, clear outcomes, and clear results.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at a meeting on combating IUU fishing. (Photo: VOV)

He requested all fishing vessels must be licensed before going to sea by next week. Viettel and VNPT were urged to complete installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS), while the Ministry of Agriculture and and Environment local authorities must finish upgrading fishing port infrastructure.

He said: “We're determined to remove the EC’s yellow card. This is a matter of national honor and credibility, We must build a sustainable fisheries industry by our own efforts. We must launch a nationwide media campaign under themes such as "Concrete action to lift the IUU yellow card" and "Sustainable fisheries development" across the political system as well as news outlets including VTV, VOV, Vietnam News Agency, People's newspaper."
The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of National Defense to work with Viettel and VNPT to complete data connection and early warning systems for vessel monitoring by October 30, 2025. The Ministry of Public Security was tasked with investigating and prosecuting IUU-related cases, especially those involving organized illegal fishing.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice will submit a new decree this week to tighten penalties for IUU violations. The Prime Minister also urged measures to support fishermen in job replacement and directed banks to provide credit assistance to fishermen.