Determined to develop sustainable fisheries; decisively handle IUU fishing cases

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the 25th meeting of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Also attending was Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Head of the Steering Committee. The meeting was broadcast live to 21 coastal provinces and cities.

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that determination must be high, efforts must be great, actions must be drastic, with key points, and that each task must be completed; that the dual goal must be achieved: accountability and ending IUU fishing, which is the number one goal that must be done according to the EC's recommendations; along with that, restructuring the fisheries industry to develop sustainably, legally, and legitimately, restructuring fishing fleets, fishermen, and the workforce in the direction of: fishing must be legal, increasing aquaculture and seafood processing, strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries to exploit and process seafood; reducing very risky offshore fishing.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered his concluding remarks at the meeting. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

To do so, ministries, branches and localities must base on their functions, tasks and powers to ensure this goal, thereby reviewing the EC's warnings and proactively implementing them; reported data must be accurate.

In that spirit, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has unified reporting guidelines according to the EC's recommendations; reporting back to the Government the contents recommended by the EC; the situation and causes, tasks and solutions. What points have we done well, why, and what lessons can we learn to continue? What points have we not done well, and why, so that appropriate solutions can be found? Complete this report before December 15.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha speaks at the meeting. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

On that basis, we must exchange online with the EC so that both sides can unify information; we must fight with them for any information that is complete and accurate; we must accept and implement any points that the EC points out that are well-founded; any information that is inaccurate must also have a convincing explanation.

Ministries, branches, especially localities must consider this an important political task at this time to end the case that has lasted for 8 years; localities must truly involve the political system in the spirit of "Party leadership, government at all levels including provincial and grassroots authorities, people must participate; associations must also participate in managing and supervising the origin of goods".

If the inspection team goes and finds that a locality does not understand the situation, then individual and collective responsibility must be assigned; places that do well must be commended and rewarded.

Representatives of leaders of ministries, branches and agencies attended the meeting. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

The Prime Minister requested localities to develop projects based on specific situations, from which the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will collect and develop an outline for sustainable fisheries development this December, and submit it to the Government for promulgation, including the fields of aquaculture, fishing, processing and exporting of aquatic products; focusing on improving the material and spiritual life of the people, restructuring the workforce of the fisheries sector.

The Prime Minister requested that the implementation of this work must be very quick; it must be done resolutely; anyone who violates must be punished; leaders who do not fulfill their responsibilities must also be punished according to Regulation 366-QD/TW of the Politburo. Ministries and branches must fully implement the direction of the Government, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, especially the Directive of the Secretariat.

The Ministry of National Defense continues to maintain patrols and control of the sea areas bordering Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.; control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, strictly handle fishing vessels that are not qualified to participate in activities; guide ship owners and captains to carry out procedures for declaring fishing vessels and fishermen entering and leaving ports on VNeID.

Delegates attending the meeting. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urgently works with countries to unify information on Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen detained from 2024 to present whose information is unknown; provide a list of fishing vessels and fishermen detained by foreign countries and returned to foreign countries from 2024 to present to thoroughly handle the cases, not letting them drag on.

The Ministry of Public Security, based on information provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, directs local police to thoroughly handle cases of fishing vessels and fishermen being arrested by foreign countries and brokerage lines that send fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally exploit abroad; directs local police in Khanh Hoa, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Ho Chi Minh City... to urgently investigate and thoroughly handle individuals and organizations that violate the law related to illegal seafood export shipments...

The Chairmen of the People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities with fishing vessels must continue to strictly implement regulations on registration, licensing, etc.; inspect and monitor fishing vessels; allocate resources to synchronously implement the Electronic CDT System for all fishing vessels and voyage logs; absolutely do not allow unqualified vessels to leave port; promptly handle incidents of VMS disconnection and exceeding permitted boundaries; review, arrange, and archive records of fishing vessel management entering and leaving ports, and traceability of aquatic product origin, etc. Some provinces must urgently and decisively handle fishing vessels detained by foreign countries.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, together with the Government Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will rebuild a complete report based on complete, accurate and complete information. Individuals and groups that do well must be commended and rewarded. The Government Inspectorate and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment must get involved in this matter. The Prime Minister asked the Ministry of National Defense to propose necessary equipment.

Ministries, branches and localities promote the highest sense of responsibility and honor towards the country.

Coastal localities take this opportunity to restructure fishermen's activities; exploit all the different potentials, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages of our country's seas.

Ministries and branches need to review and update information to complete the report and work directly with the EC.

The Prime Minister emphasized that this is the honor and prestige of the country, so it must be resolutely implemented; any individual or group that violates must be strictly handled according to the law.