The Prime Minister has requested relevant ministries, agencies and localities to focus on implementing tasks and measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and make thorough preparations to host the European Commission (EC)'s inspection team.

The Prime Ministerial Official Dispatch No 111/CD-TTg, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on November 4, asked relevant ministries, agencies and localities to launch a comprehensive inspection campaign in November to stop unregistered fishing vessels from operating at sea.

The  Official Dispatch highlighted that despite seven years of IUU countermeasures, numerous critical targets and objectives remain unmet. These include registration, issuance of fishing permits, addressing the 'three-nos' (no registration, no ownership, no fishing licences) vessels and ensuring compliance with vessel monitoring system (VMS) regulations.

In the document, the Prime Minister urged that each agency establishes specific roles and responsibilities, clear completion timelines and outcomes in order to have the 'Yellow Card' warning from the EC removed.

The Official Dispatch set a clear deadline for removing all "three Nos" vessels by November 20.

The Prime Minister asked Chairpersons of the People’s Committees of 28 coastal provinces and cities to directly guide the implementation of tasks and measures to combat IUU fishing and take responsibility for the implementation results in their localities.

Mechanisms to encourage compliance with anti-IUU fishing standards among fishermen should be put in place.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in coordination with ministries, agencies and local authorities, has been requested to adopt technical solutions to handle violations related to vessel monitoring system.

They are required to continue investing in upgrading information infrastructure, the national fishery database (VNFishbase), and the vessel monitoring system (VMS), as well as application of information technology and AI in analyzing, tracking, monitoring, and punishing illegal fishing activities.