Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 23 chaired the 14th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing at the Government Office in Hanoi. The session was also connected online with 21 coastal provinces and cities.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, cabinet members, heads of Central agencies and leaders of coastal localities attended the meeting.

The Prime Minister stressed that Vietnam, as a maritime nation with rich fisheries resources and a long tradition of offshore fishing, must ensure that its activities comply with both international rules and domestic law.

After eight years of efforts, IUU fishing still occurs, and the European Commission (EC) has yet to lift its “yellow card” warning. The sanction has hurt seafood exports, tarnished national reputation and raised questions about the effectiveness of leadership and governance at various levels.

The Prime Minister underlined that the immediate goal is to put an end to IUU fishing so that the EC will remove its warning during its inspection mission to Vietnam in October 2025. He noted that lifting the yellow card is critical for safeguarding and expanding export markets, thereby improving fishermen’s livelihoods at a time when global trade faces mounting challenges.

“We cannot be powerless in the face of violations,” said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, urging thorough accountability reviews of party committees, authorities and local leaders, as well as stronger public compliance. He expressed hope that this would be the Steering Committee’s last meeting on the matter, with IUU fishing brought to an end.

Delegates at the meeting highlighted root causes and proposed stronger measures, pledging to strictly enforce Directive No. 32 issued by the Party Secretariat in April 2024 on strengthening leadership against IUU fishing and promoting sustainable fisheries development.

According to Chinhphu.vn