Ending illegal fishing earlier than the end of this year

The order was issued at a virtual conference on anti-illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities on September 7.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that the fisheries industry has developed into a critical economic sector, with yearly production approaching 9 million tons and exports averaging USD 8.5-9 billion. By 2030, the targeted plan anticipates that fisheries production would reach 10 million tons and export revenue will reach USD 14-16 billion.

The presence and activities in the seas have resulted in the creation of jobs and livelihoods for approximately 1 million fishermen and 4 million related people, thereby contributing to the development of the fisheries industry, raising people's living standards, advancing the country's socio-economic development, and making a significant contribution to the protection of the sea and islands' security and sovereignty.

Apart from the good achievements, the exploitation and fishing sectors continue to face many limitations and shortcomings, prompting the EC to issue a yellow card warning. To avoid imposing the "red card," the Secretariat, the Government, and the Prime Minister have issued numerous drastic instructions; the Steering Committee, departments, ministries, branches, and coastal provinces and cities have been extremely active in recent years in advising, directing, operating, and implementing solutions to combat IUU fishing. The EC delegation visited Vietnam twice in 2017 and 2019; they recognized Vietnam's good achievements.

However, almost four years after adopting the EC's recommendations, the status of fishing activities remains a significant issue. Fishermen have not strictly implemented the installation of cruise monitoring equipment as required by the Fisheries Law, with only 27,628/30,609 fishing vessels (90.26 percent) certified thus far, the certification of seafood traceability has not yet ensured high reliability, and inspection, supervision, and communication are ineffective.

The Prime Minister said that the aim is to put an end to the aforementioned breaches by the end of the year, which is four months away.

The Prime Minister directed the National Steering Committee to work more harshly and forcefully, to encourage and evaluate activities on a regular basis, to monitor and check. "28 provinces and cities, 136 districts and towns, and particularly 675 communes, wards, and towns must thoroughly understand, organize the implementation well, and achieve the goals," the Prime Minister said sternly.

The Prime Minister assigned ministries and departments to settle and emphasized that the provincial and district levels must lead, direct, organize, and strengthen supervision and inspection; the primary implementing level remains communes, wards, and townships based on functions, duties, and powers, with the motto "populace is both subject and center."

To care for people, to create conditions and opportunities for them, and to communicate and mobilize people in order to strictly enforce regulations, to improve people's lives, and to contribute to socio-economic development in conjunction with the protection of aquatic resources and the environment, as well as to contribute to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and development.

“Raising awareness, uniting people, and guiding them to collaborate so that by the end of this year, the situation of violations and negatives will cease, and the EU will remove the yellow card, restoring fishing activities to a healthy environment in accordance with international laws and practices, and in accordance with our country's legitimate interests.