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 Lam Dong bridge point

At Lam Dong bridge, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Trong Yen and leaders of relevant departments, branches and localities attended the meeting.

According to the Steering Committee’s report, the fight against IUU fishing has seen positive changes in recent times. More than 99% of fishing vessels have been equipped with vessel monitoring systems (VMS), 286 new vessels have been licensed, 58 qualified fishing ports have been declared open, and 21 IUU violations have been prosecuted.

However, there are still 5,712 ships that have not been licensed to operate, of which 6,004 are unqualified and 292 are unregistered, mainly concentrated in Vinh Long, Quang Ngai, An Giang provinces and Ho Chi Minh City.

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that combating IUU fishing is not only to remove the “yellow card”, but also for the benefit of fishermen, the sustainable development of the fisheries industry and national prestige.

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

The Prime Minister requested that by next week, all qualified fishing vessels must be licensed and absolutely no violators must be allowed to go to sea; at the same time, 100% of the installation and connection of the VMS system must be completed and the monitoring signal interruption must be thoroughly handled.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to urgently issue a set of temporary criteria to identify fishing ports that meet IUU conditions, prepare documents and technical evidence to serve the 5th EC inspection team; at the same time, coordinate with media agencies to deploy the column "Substantive Action - Removing the IUU Yellow Card".

The Ministry of Public Security is assigned to investigate and strictly handle fishing vessels that cross the border, coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and localities to deploy VNeID in managing fishermen and fishing vessels. The Ministry of National Defense continues to patrol, prevent and handle 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 bridge

The Prime Minister requested to review the responsibility of leaders if violations recur or if the progress of removing the "yellow card" is slow, and at the same time directed ministries, branches and localities to develop programs for career conversion and sustainable livelihoods for fishermen.

“There is no higher goal than protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands and bringing a prosperous and happy life to the people. Those who violate the law must be strictly punished, for the long-term benefit of the country and 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