Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

At the event, the Deputy Prime Minister required 13 regional cities and provinces to exert the greatest possible efforts towards the primary goal of ensuring no vessels are detained abroad due to illegal fishing from now to October.

Local authorities should intensify management of their fishing fleets to prevent illegal fishing in foreign waters and coordinate with competent agencies to investigate and punish violations of fishing regulations, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Quang instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to complete amendments to Decree 42/2019/ND-CP on administrative penalties in the fisheries sector in July.

He particularly urged local authorities to carry out the two long-term tasks assigned by the Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development, which are promoting occupational transition for fishermen to have alternative livelihoods, and increasing aquatic resources through boosting aquaculture.

Regarding the fight against smuggling and trade fraud, the Deputy Prime Minister underlined the three most outstanding problems of fake fertilisers, cross-border smuggling and illicit trafficking of petrol products via seaway.