Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 30 urged greater efforts to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Vietnamese waters by November 15, with a focus on digital transformation.

At the 15th session of the government’s National Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing, Chinh said the push for digital application followed the case of two fishing vessels in Quang Tri damaged in Typhoon Bualoi. The vessels had lost connection long before, but went unnoticed until the accident, he said.

To meet the target of eliminating IUU fishing by mid-November, the prime minister tasked Viettel to implement full digitalization in IUU management.

Viettel must also integrate fishing vessel data with the national citizenship database and ensure information sharing between sectors and localities.

Chinh assigned VNPT Group to continue resolving technical issues and upgrading the system, including data transfer of the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).

He asked the Ministry of Finance to provide funding for IUU prevention, assess compliance with US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requirements, and support occupational changes as directed by authorities.

The Ministry of Science and Technology was told to assess telecom service quality, ensure stable VMS subscriptions, prevent satellite errors and maintain VMS connectivity during peak periods.

Chinh directed the ministries of National Defense and Public Security to tighten monitoring, report vessel lists through border guard checkpoints and handle violations at sea.

He asked the two ministries and provincial authorities to review and strictly control all fishing vessels, ban unlicensed ones and revoke licenses for IUU violations. This work must be completed by October 5.

The prime minister stressed that these measures aim to manage fishing activities at sea and onshore and ensure transparent public services.

He also told the Ministry of Justice to increase fines and deterrence for violations, while ministries, sectors and localities must design plans to shift fishermen from capture to aquaculture.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must work with foreign law enforcement regarding detained fishing vessels and fishermen in 2024 and 2025 and enhance cooperation in fisheries.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, together with ministries and localities, must strictly control the origin of aquatic products and prevent illegal seafood from entering markets.

The prime minister asked chairpersons of coastal provinces and cities to allocate resources to implement IUU measures as directed by the state agencies. They must report fully and on time to the Government before 5 PM every Monday.

According to Chinh, despite progress, shortcomings remain, such as vessels disconnecting from VMS, crossing maritime boundaries and entering foreign waters.

“Ending IUU fishing relates to Vietnam’s global reputation and people’s interests,” he said. “Violators must face strict punishment. Leaders of agencies and provinces will take full responsibility for failures.”

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam now has more than 81,000 vessels, with licensed ones increasing, but 8,700 still unlicensed.

From September 22–29, some 310 vessels had their registrations revoked. Nearly 9,300 vessels remain unregistered, invalidly licensed, or unequipped with VMS devices. Provinces with the highest numbers include the southern province of An Giang with 2,326 vessels, the Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Gia Lai with 1,103, 2,009 and 436, respectively, Ho Chi Minh City 873, and the southernmost province of Ca Mau 541.

From early 2025 to September 15, about 1.5 million vessel movements for port entry and exit were recorded. Since September 6, 2025, no Vietnamese vessels have been caught violating foreign waters.

Monitoring on September 29 showed that among vessels 24 meters or longer, 200 lost connection for more than six hours, 25 for over 10 days and four crossed boundaries.

Among vessels from 15 to under 24 meters, over 2,400 lost connection for more than six hours, 139 for over 10 days and 54 crossed boundaries. No new IUU cases were detected during the week.