Achieving a dual objective: Lifting the EC's yellow card while ensuring the sustainable and legitimate development of Vietnam's fisheries sector.

That was the direction of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the 25th online conference to review and evaluate the implementation of the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which took place on the afternoon of December 9. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha co-chaired the conference. Attending at the Ca Mau province bridge were Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Lu Quang Ngoi and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Van Su.

Delegates attending the conference at the Ca Mau province bridge.

After the 24th conference of the Government , ministries, branches and localities have urgently and resolutely focused resources to implement many important tasks in the fight against IUU fishing; including comprehensive digitization of fishing vessel data, interconnection; and completion of instructions for updating fishing vessels via VNeID. Ministries and branches have established many working groups to conduct inspections and examinations of fishing vessel management.

The conference was connected online to local areas.

According to the report at the conference, the whole country has 79,180/79,180 vessels updated on VNFishbase (100%). Monitoring port activities, there were 2,901 vessels leaving the port, 2,708 vessels arriving at the port; monitoring 1,845 tons of aquatic products via eCDT. 328 receipts, 22 SC papers, 01 CC paper were issued at 51 designated fishing ports qualified to confirm exploited aquatic materials. 12 files with a volume of 751,102 kg by container ship were checked and controlled. In addition, the handling of violations was carried out strongly and thoroughly, 100% of violating fishing vessels were handled, in order to create deterrence and prevent violations from arising.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the conference.

Identifying the fight against IUU fishing as a very important task in the current period, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested Party committees, authorities, ministries and branches to focus on implementing the dual goal of explaining the EC's recommendations to ensure reasonableness and transparency; at the same time, restructuring the sustainable and legitimate development of the fisheries industry associated with the fleet structure, job creation, and livelihood creation for fishermen in the direction of legal fishing, and enhancing aquaculture and seafood processing.

In the spirit of having to completely resolve current problems and not let complications drag on, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ministries, branches and localities to proactively carry out tasks, especially reviewing EC warnings; comparing and ensuring the accuracy, comprehensiveness and overallness of data, and completing the report before December 15, 2025. In addition, it is necessary to recognize and evaluate good and bad aspects, thereby pointing out the causes as well as proposing solutions to overcome the difficulties being encountered. On the other hand, it is necessary to increase the recognition and rewards for organizations and individuals who have done well, along with assigning responsibility and handling violations firmly.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment coordinates with ministries, branches and localities to urgently start building an outline for the sustainable fisheries development project and must complete it by December 2025 - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on ministries, branches, Party committees, local authorities and people with the highest sense of responsibility to resolutely join in removing the EC's "yellow card" on combating IUU fishing, for the goal of regaining the prestige and honor of the nation and people.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Lu Quang Ngoi (standing) gave a speech at a meeting with localities in the province.

Immediately after the online meeting with the Government, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Lu Quang Ngoi directed departments, branches and localities in the province to carefully review the reported data, to grasp the situation right from the grassroots, especially the management of ships entering and leaving ports, granting fishing vessel registration licenses and local workers. It is necessary to focus on promoting the procedures for issuing policies to support fishermen in parallel with strengthening propaganda to raise awareness among people, as well as thoroughly handling violations, not allowing them to linger.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Lu Quang Ngoi emphasized: It is necessary to identify the fight against IUU fishing as one of the priority tasks to be implemented in this period, mobilizing the entire political system, functional forces, and people to join in, determined to end IUU fishing as soon as possible.

Source: https://www.camau.gov.vn/hoat-dong-lanh-dao-tinh/thuc-hien-muc-tieu-kep-go-the-vang-ec-gan-voi-phat-trien-ben-vung-chinh-dang-nganh-thuy-san-viet-292159