On March 31, the Government Office issued a notice conveying the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the 33rd meeting of the Steering Committee for Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, underscoring the need for urgent and comprehensive measures to address shortcomings identified by the EC.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has urged ministries, sectors, and coastal localities to tighten management and take decisive measures to address shortcomings in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, following the latest recommendations by the EC.

Chairing a hybrid meeting on March 27 with 22 coastal provinces and cities as well as Tay Ninh province, Ha requested a thorough review and settlement of the 11 issues raised by the E.C.’s inspection mission during its working visit to Vietnam from March 10 to 19.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien, the E.C. delegation outlined four key areas requiring more attention: legal framework improvements, management and monitoring of fishing vessels, seafood traceability, and law enforcement.

In terms of legislation, the E.C. recommended introducing stricter penalties, including license revocation and vessel confiscation for serious violations, and classifying acts such as tampering with or disabling vessel monitoring systems (VMS) as major offenses subject to maximum sanctions.

On monitoring, all registered vessels must be properly marked in accordance with regulations, regardless of whether they are actively operating or docked, alongside strengthened inter-agency coordination to oversee vessel movements and prevent violations.

Regarding traceability, the E.C. emphasized tighter control over seafood, from ports to enterprises and export stages, particularly for container shipments, while urging enhanced inspections at processing companies to detect and penalize the use of illegally sourced materials.

In terms of law enforcement, the delegation called for faster handling of violations, improved data consistency among authorities, and mechanisms for addressing delays in local enforcement.