The Deputy PM, who is also the committee's deputy head, presided over the 22nd meeting of the national steering committee on IUU fishing prevention on November 18 and urged the MAE to amend regulations on the decentralized management of fishing vessels measuring 24 meters or more, from central to local levels, specifically in the areas of data monitoring and management and administrative sanctions.
He insisted that a national fisheries database system that is unified, connected, and shared be completed by December 31, providing data that is "accurate, sufficient, clean and live," and that it should satisfy all the needs of traceability, vessel monitoring, and management operations.
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The system must also be decentralized in order for all stakeholders, including fishermen, to be able to access and disclose information.
The Government Inspectorate was charged by the Deputy Prime Minister with reviewing all legal instruments and administrative sanctioning procedures pertaining to IUU fishing, choosing a few areas for inspection and direction, and making sure that every remaining infringement is dealt with completely.
Each vessel should have a complete data profile, local authorities were instructed to evaluate their fishing fleets, confirm that boats are eligible, revoke any licenses that have expired or are not in compliance, and implement assistance programs for fishermen.
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Cities and provinces were directed to work with the Border Guard Command and the Ministry of National Defense to find appropriate fishing ports to automate the registration and certification of the origin of captured seafood.
In the long run, local communities should evaluate alternatives for the transition of fishermen's livelihoods and create sustainable fisheries policies that are consistent with natural resource capacity, while also encouraging high-tech offshore aquaculture and collaboration in international waters.
As of November 15, the MAE said that 100 percent of the 79,360 fishing boats in the nation had been registered and updated in the national fisheries database (VNFishbase). There are 76,811 licensed vessels. Ineligible vessels have been placed under local supervision, and municipal and ward officials have been tasked with overseeing their mooring.
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There were no instances this week of Vietnamese boats trespassing into foreign waters. The Ministry of Public Security has filed criminal charges in three cases involving four defendants, and it has brought five cases with 12 defendants before the court. Police initiated 91 criminal cases related to IUU violations from the beginning of 2024 to November 15, 2025, prosecuted 136 defendants, and brought 48 cases involving 101 defendants to trial.
Between the 21st and 22nd meetings, proficient troops identified and dealt with 62 ships that either crossed authorized limits or lost their vessel monitoring system (VMS) signals.