Prime Minister orders stronger efforts in IUU fishing combat

Participants to the event include Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan and leaders of all 28 coastal provinces and cities.

The meeting took place ahead of a European Commission (EC) delegation's visit to Viet Nam for the 5th inspection round this October.

The EC issued a "yellow card" warning against Viet Nam's seafood exports in 2017. Since then, the value of Viet Nam's seafood exports to the EU market has decreased by an average of 6-10 percent per year.

The EU, once Viet Nam's second largest seafood import market (accounting for 17-20 percent of the country's total seafood export value), has dropped to 5th place after Japan, the U.S., South Korea and ASEAN, according to the Viet Nam Directorate of Fisheries.

Over the past seven years, the EC has conducted four inspection rounds on combating IUU fishing in Viet Nam. During the inspection tours, the EC has acknowledged and highly appreciated the strong political determination and efforts of the Government of Viet Nam and the Prime Minister, as well as Viet Nam's specific actions in combating IUU fishing.

As part of the efforts to prepare for the EC's upcoming examination, the Government has issued two decrees specifying a number of regulations in the Fisheries Law, as well as administrative punishments in the field.

On April 10, 2024, the Party Central Committee's Secretariat issued a Directive on strengthening the Party's leadership over IUU fishing combat and promoting the sustainable development of the fisheries sector.

The promulgation of these legal documents demonstrates Viet Nam's strong political determination to create a comprehensive legal framework for IUU combat following the EC's recommendations.

Besides, the Southeast Asian nation takes stronger measures to curb IUU fishing though initiating prosecution in 11 cases involving fishing vessels engaging in IUU fishing activities while three others are being investigated for suspected wrongdoings.

Addressing the event, Pham requested relevant agencies and localities to strictly monitor and supervise all fishing vessels operating at sea, especially handling with unregistered, uninspected, and unlicensed fishing vessels.

Organizations, individuals involved in IUU fishing will be punished strictly, ordered the Prime Minister, adding that inspection and examination of the exploitation must be strengthened.

Remarkably, leaders of localities with poor records of IUU fishing combat will be stringently handled, noted the Government leader./.