Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired the 31st meeting of the National Steering Committee on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing on February 24.

The session was held via video conference with representatives from coastal provinces and cities across the country, according to a report by Radio the Voice of Vietnam.

According to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), a high-peak inspection plan has been launched, with the ministries of Agriculture and Environment, Justice, Public Security, National Defense, Science and Technology, Industry and Trade, and the Government Inspectorate assigned to conduct inspections in 15 key localities from now until March 9, 2026. The inspection methods and content will mirror the protocols used by the European Commission (EC).

The MAE has also issued Official Dispatch No. 1289 to the chairpersons of coastal provinces and cities, urging them to intensify local inspections and finalize preparations for the EC's 5th inspection visit. The ministry noted that software systems for monitoring fishing vessel activities have been synchronized and integrated.

Emphasizing that the EC inspection team is scheduled to arrive in less than two weeks, the Minister of Agirculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang stressed that the ministry is currently coordinating with various sectors to review, cross-check, and finalize all necessary documentation.

"I urge the chairpersons of the 22 coastal provinces to conduct self-inspections and develop comprehensive, detailed master plans to work with the inspection team upon request," the minister said.

"Localities must strictly review and categorize the handling of vessels that lose VMS connection or cross maritime boundaries, ensuring that documentation is consistent with the data provided to the MAE and the EC. Provinces must also conclusively handle cases where there is sufficient information to penalize captains and owners of seized vessels."

Reporting at the meeting, Lieutenant General Le Quang Dao, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, noted that no Vietnamese fishing vessels were reported seized or handled by foreign authorities over the past week. Patrols also found no "three-no" vessels (no registration, no license, no certificate). However, Border Guard and Coast Guard forces detected and handled 13 domestic violations, resulting in fines exceeding VND1 billion ($38,000). Primary violations included VMS disconnections, failure to report positions every six hours, and fishing in the wrong zones.

"In the coming week, Border Guard forces will continue to coordinate with functional agencies to strictly manage the entry and exit of fishing vessels," Mr. Dao said. "The Ministry of National Defense requests that local authorities coordinate patrols to strictly monitor vessels not registered in the national database."

Concluding the meeting, Deputy PM Ha requested that all ministries and localities fulfill the 123 specific tasks previously outlined by the Prime Minister. He ordered a thorough review of all explanatory reports addressing the EC’s concerns.

With only two weeks remaining, the Deputy PM mandated that all sectors continue implementing the high-peak inspection plan under MARD’s Decision No. 515. He emphasized that responsibilities must be clearly assigned to both local authorities and central ministries. Beyond comprehensive inspections, each ministry must focus on its specific area of expertise—particularly the Ministry of Science and Technology, which is tasked with working with MAE to ensure the connectivity and transparency of tracking systems.

Source: Vneconomy