Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà called for stronger, more coordinated efforts to prepare all necessary conditions for upcoming negotiations with the European Commission (EC) on lifting the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing “yellow card”.
The request was made at the 24ᵗʰ meeting of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention on December 2, with the participation of relevant ministries and 22 coastal localities.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MoAE), all 101 tasks assigned for Week 48 of 2025 have been completed by ministries and provincial authorities.
The MoAE has led multiple inspection missions in coastal provinces; the Ministry of National Defence has strengthened patrols in overlapping and adjacent waters; the Ministry of Public Security has handled violations related to fishermen; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued working with the EC to resolve the “yellow card”.
Significant progress has been recorded in fleet management, with 100 per cent of fishing vessels — 79,243 boats — now updated in the VNFishbase database.
Port controls have been strictly implemented, with more than 3,100 tonnes of aquatic products monitored through the eCDT system.
From 2024 to date, authorities have detected and handled 21,870 cases of vessels losing VMS connection or crossing maritime boundaries, of which more than 4,000 boats received administrative penalties.
Communication efforts have also improved, with hundreds of news items published across media outlets, social networks and local broadcasting systems, contributing to greater community awareness of IUU regulations.
In Quảng Ngãi Province, IUU prevention has shown clear improvement.
During the week of November 22–28, all 4,849 fishing vessels were registered in VNFishbase. 4,734 vessels met licensing conditions, while 115 non-eligible vessels were placed under control.
Local fishing ports recorded 72 arrivals and departures with 148 tonnes of seafood unloaded, bringing the cumulative total since the beginning of the year to 21,252 tonnes.
Traceability procedures have been conducted in full compliance, with no errors reported.
Since 2024, the province has detected 15 vessels violating foreign waters, two of which have resulted in criminal proceedings. All cases of VMS loss of connection have been thoroughly addressed.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy PM Hà, Head of the National Steering Committee on Combating IUU Fising, requested the MoAE to continue working with relevant ministries to verify and clarify data.
He also tasked the MoAE, together with the Ministry of Justice, to urgently finalise the revised Fisheries Law for submission to the Government before December 15, 2025.
Localities must ensure 100 per cent accuracy in their reports and swiftly propose livelihood transition plans for fishermen whose vessels no longer meet fishing requirements.
The Deputy PM emphasised that all ministries, sectors and localities must strictly fulfil assigned tasks and be fully prepared for negotiations with the EC, demonstrating the nation’s determination to have the IUU “yellow card” removed.
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