Speaking at the 27th meeting of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing, held online with coastal provinces and cities, Hà directed ministries and local authorities to fully execute directives issued on December 16 and ensure all tasks are completed “thoroughly and responsibly.”
According to reports presented at the meeting, ministries and localities continued implementing the government’s IUU directives over the past week. Local authorities have deregistered 10,897 “three-no” fishing vessels—those lacking registration, qualification, or required documentation—from 2024 to December 20, 2025. All data were entered into the national fisheries management system overseen by the Directorate of Fisheries and the Fisheries Surveillance Department.
No new cases of Vietnamese fishing vessels violating foreign waters were recorded during the past week. From 2024 to December 20, 2025, authorities detected 22,287 cases involving vessels losing connection for six hours, losing connection for more than ten days at sea, or crossing licensed boundaries. All incidents have been fully addressed.
In Gia Lai province, 5,739 vessels have been registered and updated in VNFishbase, with complete data digitization and synchronization with the national population database (VNeID). All 3,156 vessels measuring 15 meters or longer have been fitted with monitoring devices. The province also achieved full compliance among 197 vessels between 12 and under 15 meters in length, classified as high-risk for foreign-waters violations.
Border guards, fisheries surveillance units, and port authorities have tightened controls to prevent unqualified vessels from departing. Local governments have offered financial support for vessel monitoring systems and reinforced communication with vessel owners and captains regarding registration and port-entry procedures through VNeID.
Hà instructed the Ministry of National Defense to maintain patrols along border waters, supervise vessel movements, and strictly penalize unqualified vessels. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with foreign authorities to clarify the status of Vietnamese vessels and fishermen detained since 2024. Based on this information, the Ministry of Public Security will direct local police to resolve outstanding cases and dismantle networks enabling illegal fishing abroad.
Coastal localities were ordered to enforce registration and licensing rules, maintain detailed lists of unqualified and “three-no” vessels at the commune and village levels, and assign specific officials to oversee designated mooring zones. Vessels must be sealed, and fishermen instructed not to leave gear onboard to prevent unauthorized fishing.
Authorities must also respond promptly to vessel-monitoring system (VMS) disconnections and boundary violations, and ensure strict compliance to prevent illegal fishing in foreign waters. Localities are required to review and archive port-entry records, verify the origins of harvested seafood, and process administrative violations in coordination with relevant agencies.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment was directed to continue deploying inter-agency inspection teams and support localities in handling violations such as VMS disconnections, boundary infractions, and illegal fishing. Findings will be compiled into reports to the European Commission after review by the National Steering Committee.
