The Prime Minister directed that all fishing vessels must be licensed.

On the evening of October 21, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the 18th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, connecting online with 21 coastal provinces and cities.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Trong Yen chaired the meeting at the Lam Dong branch.

At the Lam Dong provincial meeting point, Standing Committee member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Trong Yen, along with leaders of relevant departments, agencies, and localities, attended the session.

According to the Steering Committee's report, the fight against IUU fishing has seen positive progress recently. More than 99% of fishing vessels have been equipped with vessel monitoring systems (VMS), 286 new vessels have been licensed, 58 eligible fishing ports have been opened, and 21 IUU violations have been prosecuted.

However, there are still 5,712 unlicensed vessels, including 6,004 that do not meet the requirements and 292 that are unregistered, mainly concentrated in the provinces of Vinh Long, Quang Ngai, An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that combating IUU fishing is not only aimed at lifting the "yellow card," but also for the benefit of fishermen, the sustainable development of the fisheries sector, and national prestige.

Leaders of departments, agencies, and localities of Lam Dong province attended the meeting.

The Prime Minister requested that all eligible fishing vessels be licensed within the next week, absolutely prohibiting any vessels violating regulations from going out to sea; at the same time, 100% of the installation and connection of VMS systems must be completed, and the issue of signal interruptions from monitoring must be thoroughly addressed.

The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to urgently issue a temporary set of criteria for identifying fishing ports eligible for IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing, prepare dossiers and technical evidence to serve the 5th EC inspection team; and at the same time, coordinate with media agencies to implement the special feature "Substantive Action - Lifting the IUU Yellow Card".

The Ministry of Public Security is tasked with investigating and strictly handling networks organizing fishing vessels to cross territorial boundaries, and coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and local authorities to implement VNeID in managing fishermen and fishing vessels. The Ministry of National Defense will continue patrolling, preventing, and handling vessels violating foreign waters, and complete the VMS disconnection warning system before October 30, 2025.

Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee Le Trong Yen followed the meeting via online video link.

The Prime Minister demanded accountability from heads of departments if violations recur or if progress in lifting the "yellow card" is delayed, and directed ministries, sectors, and localities to develop programs for occupational retraining and sustainable livelihoods for fishermen.

"There is no higher goal than protecting maritime sovereignty and bringing prosperity and happiness to the people. Those who violate the law must be severely punished, for the long-term benefit of the country and of the fishermen themselves," Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/thu-tuong-chinh-phu-chi-dao-phai-hoan-thanh-cap-phep-toan-bo-tau-ca-397215.html