Vietnam’s Prime Minister has ordered ministries and coastal provinces to intensify the crackdown on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, seeking to have the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted and to advance sustainable fisheries.
Under Directive No. 198/CĐ-TTg, the Ministry of Public Security will launch a national vessel and crew monitoring system on the VNelD platform, completing digital identification and registration of all fishing vessels by October 30, 2025. The Ministry of National Defense will oversee offshore surveillance, while Viettel Group will deploy automatic tracking, electronic logbooks and disconnection alerts, ensuring data is shared between central and local authorities.
The government plans to fully digitize fishing vessel management and link it with the national population database to improve transparency, traceability and service delivery. All digital IUU-monitoring tools are expected to be operational by November 15, 2025.
The Ministry of Science and Technology will check the quality of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and satellite connections ahead of the European Commission’s fifth inspection mission.
Coastal provinces must complete registration, licensing, vessel marking and database updates on both VNFishbase and VNelD systems by October 30, 2025. They are also required to monitor landings at ports and upgrade IT systems to support electronic reporting and traceability.
The Prime Minister said tackling IUU fishing is a long-term national priority, calling for strict enforcement to protect Vietnam’s international reputation and the livelihoods of compliant fishermen.
VFM
