Maximize the time and resources allocated to regularly organize and implement key and urgent tasks to combat IUU fishing.
Official dispatch sent to the Ministers of the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, National Defence, Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology, and Industry and Trade; the Inspector General of the Government ; and the Secretaries of the Provincial and City Party Committees and Chairmen of the People's Committees of 22 coastal provinces and cities.
In recent times, efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing have shown progress; the awareness of compliance among most fishermen and businesses has improved; the management of fishing vessels, control of activities at sea, and traceability are gradually becoming more systematic; and the detection, prevention, and handling of violations have improved. However, IUU remains a direct challenge to national prestige, seafood exports, and the livelihoods of legitimate businesses. There must be absolutely no complacency or superficiality; and no loopholes or gaps should be allowed in the organization and implementation of official duties.
Combating IUU fishing and lifting the "Yellow Card" warning is a particularly important and urgent task, requiring the highest political determination and decisive, coordinated action from the central to local levels; resolutely preventing a small number of organizations and individuals from deliberately violating the law for their own benefit or exploiting, assisting, or covering up activities that negatively impact the national image internationally. The Prime Minister requests that relevant Ministers, heads of agencies, and Chairpersons of People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities continue to thoroughly understand and strictly implement Directive No. 32-CT/TW dated April 10, 2024, of the Party Central Committee, the directives of the Government and the Prime Minister, and related documents; resolutely "declare war" on IUU fishing, mobilizing maximum time and resources to regularly organize and implement the following key and urgent tasks:
Establish an inter-agency inspection team to conduct inspections in localities and submit a report before January 25, 2026.
1. The Minister of Agriculture and Environment directs:
Continuing to preside over and coordinate with the Ministries of National Defence, Public Security, Justice, and other relevant agencies, establish an inter-ministerial inspection team to conduct inspections in localities, focusing on: inspecting, evaluating results, closing dossiers, clarifying responsibilities of all levels based on inspection results, summarizing results, and reporting to the Prime Minister before January 25, 2026. The inspection team's focus will be on the following areas:
- Inspect and verify the authenticity of the "file closing" results reported by localities (a very high rate, over 90%); clarify whether the file closing was in accordance with regulations, whether any violations were overlooked or not penalized/penalized incorrectly; and clearly identify the responsibilities of each level, agency, unit, and individual involved.
- Fleet management and supervision (registration, deregistration, and management of "three-no" fishing vessels at the local level).
- Implementing the policy of establishing fishing ports and deploying measures to strengthen control over fishing vessels departing from and arriving at ports, ensuring management in accordance with regulations.
- Preventing, combating, and handling fraudulent activities related to goods, documents, and records (if any) in the seafood harvesting, purchasing, processing, and export chain.
- Inspect businesses' self-declarations, self-reports, and corrective actions regarding deficiencies in processing and exporting to the EU and other markets; verify the completeness and accuracy of self-declarations, the implementation of corrective measures, and the results of those measures; if violations are detected, request the competent authority to conduct inspections, audits, and take appropriate action.
- The situation and results of investigations and handling of cases and incidents related to violations of exploitation in foreign waters; the coordination between functional agencies in the investigation and handling process according to regulations.
- Installation and maintenance of vehicle tracking systems (VMS); compliance with regulations regarding connection, operation, monitoring, and handling of violations related to VMS.
- Inspect the operation of the local fisheries database; check the updating, management, reconciliation, and exploitation of data for state management, administrative sanctions, and licensing/control of fishing vessels entering/exiting the area according to regulations.
- Inspect the implementation of vocational retraining policies at the local level; assess beneficiaries, implementation results, and the effectiveness of livelihood support as prescribed.
完善 technical solutions to ensure the stable, synchronized, and interconnected operation of vessel tracking systems (VMS) and fisheries data platforms.
2. The Minister of Science and Technology directs:
The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Public Security, and telecommunications enterprises to standardize and interconnect the fisheries database, ensuring that the data is accurate, complete, clean, and up-to-date; review and improve technical solutions to ensure the stable, synchronized, and interconnected operation of the vessel monitoring system (VMS) and other fisheries data platforms; and promptly address technical issues related to connection, transmission, storage, and data sharing to meet the requirements for managing fishing vessels entering/leaving ports, handling administrative violations, licensing, traceability, and compiling reports as required.
3. The Minister of National Defence directs:
Continue patrolling and monitoring in the waters bordering other countries to prevent fishing vessels from violating foreign waters; direct border guard posts/stations to strictly control fishing vessels entering and leaving the border guard station, ensuring consistency with data on fishing vessels entering and leaving fishing ports; strengthen propaganda and guidance for captains and ship owners on implementing the eCDT system as prescribed.
4. The Minister of Public Security directs:
Urgently investigate and prosecute the case of brokering the illegal exploitation of foreign waters by fishing vessels/fishermen; at the same time, expedite the investigation and decisively handle the violations by organizations and individuals related to swordfish shipments at several businesses, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
5. The Minister of Foreign Affairs directs:
Working with local authorities, the captain is being detained abroad for investigation, evidence gathering, and thorough handling of violations in accordance with regulations. This should be completed before January 25, 2026.
6. The Inspector General of the Government directs:
Focus inspections on a number of localities as requested; clarify responsibilities in organizing and implementing tasks to combat IUU fishing. Report the results to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for compilation before January 25, 2026.
Never report "100% resolved" when the issue has not actually been completely resolved.
7. It is proposed that the Party Secretaries of provinces and cities direct the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and cities with fishing vessels to be responsible for allocating and concentrating resources to resolutely and seriously implement measures to combat IUU fishing, and to be directly and comprehensively responsible to the Government and the Prime Minister for the handling of administrative violations and the "closing of files" in the fight against IUU fishing.
- Conduct a thorough review of all closed files, ensuring that the closing process is based on full legal grounds and follows the correct procedures; resolutely reject the closing of files that are merely for show, or that do not impose penalties or impose penalties improperly. If a closed file is found to lack sufficient grounds, it must be promptly re-processed according to legal regulations, and the responsibility of the relevant organizations and individuals, especially the head of the organization, must be considered and addressed; absolutely do not report "100% processed" when the files have not actually been fully resolved.
- Allocate resources to effectively implement eCDT systems, e-logbooks, and update specialized data to be "accurate, complete, clean, and up-to-date"; organize the review of export shipments to the EU by businesses in the area as directed.
- Report on the review and adjustment of statistical solutions, cross-checking data on fishing vessels departing from and arriving at ports, ensuring consistent data and avoiding discrepancies between different forces, control stages, and related data systems.
- Immediately implement the contents requested by the inspection team; rectify shortcomings according to the conclusions/recommendations after the inspection; clarify the responsibilities of all levels for any limitations or deficiencies (if any), and report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment before January 25, 2026.
- Develop and approve a plan for sustainable fisheries development in the locality and report it to the Prime Minister before January 25, 2026.
8. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (the Standing Agency of the National Steering Committee on IUU) shall preside over, in coordination with the Government Office, the inspection, supervision, compilation, and reporting of the results of the implementation of this Directive to the Prime Minister.
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/thu-tuong-chi-dao-huy-dong-toi-da-thoi-gian-nguon-luc-de-chong-khai-thac-iuu-102260114005215785.htm
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