The role of information dissemination and propaganda in changing public awareness about IUU fishing
Coordinating information dissemination, propaganda and legal popularization activities concerning the fight against IUU fishing constitutes the very first and fundamental step aimed at transforming the awareness and consciousness of organizations, individuals and the general public regarding illegal acts committed in fishery exploitation activities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is assigned to take the leading role in organizing nationwide information and propaganda work. In order to ensure that information is accurate, timely and reliable, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) plays the primary role in providing information, updates on IUU violations, and relevant legal regulations to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In addition, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People’s Committees of the coastal provinces and centrally-run cities are responsible for compiling and supplying information to MAE concerning cases of IUU violations detected and handled by domestic functional forces as well as by foreign authorities.
Of particular importance is the pivotal role of local authorities: the People’s Committees of the 21 coastal provinces and cities are required to direct the organization of propaganda and legal education activities that reach every single citizen in their respective localities, with special focus placed on vessel owners and captains of fishing boats. National media agencies such as Vietnam Television (VTV), Voice of Vietnam (VOV), and Vietnam News Agency (VNA) are designated as cooperating entities in carrying out communication campaigns on combating IUU fishing. At the same time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism bears the responsibility of directing and orienting the press and media to intensify propaganda efforts, promptly report on typical violation cases and their serious consequences, while actively combating and refuting distorted articles or information that take advantage of the situation to sabotage the State, undermine Vietnam’s efforts in combating IUU fishing and damage the country’s international image and reputation.
The synchronized coordination of law enforcement forces in implementing the law and handling IUU fishing violations
Coordination in law enforcement and violation handling represents the core and decisive content in determining the overall effectiveness of anti IUU efforts. The Regulation clearly delineates detailed responsibilities of relevant agencies, including the Ministry of National Defence, the MAE, the Ministry of Public Security and local authorities at all levels.
The Ministry of National Defence directs its key forces to carry out control tasks both at sea and at border gates. The Border Guard Command takes the leading role, coordinating closely with the Vietnam Coast Guard, the Naval Service, coastal military regions, the Public Security forces and the Department of Fisheries and Surveillance (DOF) to conduct thorough inspection and control of 100% of fishing vessels departing and entering ports on a daily basis. There must be tight coordination between the units handling departure/entry procedures and the fishing ports, border guard stations, public security offices and commune-level People’s Committees in order to jointly monitor and control activities. The objective is to handle violations promptly and thoroughly within the scope of authority and absolutely prevent any fishing vessel that does not meet legal requirements from leaving port to engage in fishing activities. The Border Guard forces are also required to ensure that 100% of vessel owners, captains and fishermen utilize the declaration function for departure and entry procedures through the national population database system (VNeID). The utilization of the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and the upgrading of fishing vessel management software are strictly directed to enable close tracking of vessel positions and operating routes, especially in overlapping or adjacent sea areas. Such information and data must be provided daily to the Coast Guard and the DOF for on-site inspection and control. These forces also organize regular patrols, inspections and controls at fishing ports, anchorages, river mouths, coastal sandbars and islands in order to detect and handle violations in accordance with the law in a timely manner.
The Vietnam Coast Guard conducts continuous patrols, monitoring and supervision of Vietnamese fishing vessels in all sea areas, with particular emphasis on waters adjacent to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. The Coast Guard coordinates closely with the Border Guard, the Naval Service, coastal military regions, the Public Security forces, central and local DOF forces and other relevant forces to promptly mobilize and inspect every vessel showing signs of violation; to prevent and severely handle cases of Vietnamese fishing vessels violating regulations, especially crossing boundaries to operate illegally in foreign waters, disabling, removing or falsifying VMS equipment while at sea, and organizing brokerage activities to bring fishing vessels and fishermen to exploit resources illegally in foreign waters; and to proactively implement measures to protect and guide fishermen to operate in compliance with regulations.
 |
Regarding violation handling, the Border Guard, Coast Guard, Navy and coastal military region forces must coordinate closely with functional agencies of the Ministry of Public Security, the MAE and the People’s Committees of coastal provinces and cities to investigate and handle cases within their authority. For cases exceeding their authority, dossiers must be transferred to the Public Security forces and local authorities for thorough handling, achieving 100% resolution in accordance with legal provisions. The Command 86 is responsible for receiving, managing and providing fishing vessel data to functional forces to serve the anti IUU mission.
The MAE, acting as the Standing Agency of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention and Control, regularly reviews, compiles statistics and updates the number of fishing vessels that do not meet operating conditions and notifies relevant ministries, sectors and localities for management purposes. The MAE also takes the lead in directing strict management of activities at fishing ports, including certification and traceability of exploited aquatic products, and reporting of exploitation output as required. Another critical task is to review and propose amendments to legal regulations and provide guidance on inspection of law enforcement regarding administrative sanctions in the fisheries sector and anti IUU activities; to uniformly guide the implementation of regulations on registration, inspection, licensing of fishing activities, resolutely preventing situations where vessels lack proper documentation, evade control or operate illegally at coastal sandbars or uninhabited islands. In particular, the Ministry must coordinate with relevant forces to thoroughly handle IUU violation cases within its authority.
In applying technology to enhance management effectiveness, the MAE is required to urgently complete the construction of a fisheries activity map clearly defining boundaries and permitted operating areas for fishing vessels, integrating it into the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). The MAE must maintain efficient operation of the VMS, develop and adjust the national fisheries database system, develop and provide applications for monitoring, supervision and management of fishing activities, including mobile VMS services, electronic traceability mechanisms and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. All such information and data must be fully shared with the functional forces of the Ministry of National Defence (via Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group and Command 86) to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security in digitizing and integrating into the VNeID application.
 |
 |
The MAE also closely coordinates with relevant ministries, sectors and localities to prepare substantive content for working sessions with European Commission (EC) authorities regarding the yellow card issue and to properly receive EC Inspection Delegations.
The Ministry of Public Security cooperates with relevant ministries, sectors and localities to update the VNeID application, operate the electronic identification and authentication system stably and reliably, and be ready to provide public services for crew and captain residence declarations. This system must connect and share data with the MAE and the Ministry of National Defence to serve the management of vessels entering and leaving ports and border stations. In terms of criminal law, the Ministry of Public Security takes the lead and coordinates with functional forces to detect, prevent, investigate and strictly handle criminal violations related to IUU fishing in accordance with guiding Resolution No. 04/2024/NQ-HĐTP of the Council of Judges of the Supreme People’s Court on criminal prosecution for acts involving illegal exploitation, purchase, sale and transportation of aquatic products.
The Ministry of Science and Technology ensures that telecommunications enterprises provide stable and uninterrupted satellite services for vessel monitoring activities. It also coordinates with the MAE in building and connecting the national fisheries database.
Other ministries and ministry level agencies must review and propose amendments to legal normative documents to ensure constitutionality, legality, consistency, synchronization and suitability with practical conditions. Functional agencies must regularly update information under their management into national database systems (VNeID, VnFishbase, VMS, eCDT) to ensure that data are accurate, complete, clean, live, interconnected and convenient for management and utilization.
The People’s Committees of the 21 coastal provinces and cities bear primary and direct responsibility for fishing vessels, vessel owners, captains and fishermen within their respective jurisdictions. Local authorities must strengthen statistics and quality management of fishing vessels, closely monitor positions, fishing grounds and operating sea areas of local vessels as well as vessels from other localities operating within their management scope. Localities must firmly grasp information about vessel owners, captains, crew members, communication channels of vessels operating at sea and strictly manage enterprises engaged in purchasing, exporting and importing aquatic products in their areas. The organization of guidance, inspection, examination, supervision and handling of violations must be carried out seriously, promptly and thoroughly within their authority.
Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Environment are responsible for receiving and bringing violating or evading vessels located in small channels, bays or islands, as notified by forces under the Ministry of National Defence, back to the locality for handling. Localities must regularly provide complete information and full feedback on handled cases concerning both local vessels and vessels from other provinces operating within their management area to central functional forces. At the same time, they must promptly notify the Naval Regions, Coast Guard Regions and Provincial Border Guard Commands about vessels that have lost VMS connection, vessels crossing permitted boundaries, vessels lacking operating conditions or vessels operating in wrong areas or routes so that coordinated inspection and control at sea can be conducted.
International cooperation and diplomatic struggle
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs monitors and evaluates the policies and positions of other countries and international organizations regarding IUU fishing prevention and control; coordinates with the MAE to strengthen diplomatic lobbying, promote cooperation with countries in signing and implementing fisheries agreements and marine resource management agreements in order to gain support from EU countries, exchange information with the European Commission on the situation and strive for early removal of the “Yellow Card” warning against Vietnam.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also bears responsibility for conducting diplomatic struggle with countries concerning illegal arrests of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen; requesting countries to provide information and documents regarding arrests and handling; promptly supplying information to relevant ministries, sectors and localities for coordinated resolution of cases; and effectively carrying out citizen protection work for fishing vessels and fishermen. The Ministries of National Defence, Public Security, MAE, the People’s Committees of the 21 coastal provinces and cities and relevant agencies are responsible for providing information on policies, positions and activities of related countries concerning IUU, as well as results of their own anti IUU efforts, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to serve international cooperation. At the same time, these agencies must coordinate in verifying and providing information on cases where Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen are arrested and handled by foreign countries to support diplomatic struggle and citizen protection activities.
Coordination in statistics, reporting, inspection and evaluation of anti IUU efforts
To ensure transparency and effectiveness, the Regulation also stipulates coordination in statistics, reporting, inspection and evaluation of anti IUU activities. The MAE acts as the leading agency in compiling statistics and reporting results of IUU prevention and control to the Head of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention and Control. Relevant ministries, sectors and the 21 coastal provinces and cities must proactively compile statistical data and implement the information and reporting regime as required by the Steering Committee.
The Head of the National Steering Committee has the authority to decide on the organization of inter-ministerial inspection delegations and to mobilize anti IUU resources among ministries, sectors and localities. The MAE takes the lead in proposing the organization of inter-sectoral working delegations to examine the situation and results of task implementation, focusing on management, registration, inspection, licensing of fishing vessels, management of fishing areas, traceability, fishing port management and violation handling. The Ministry of National Defence takes the lead in proposing the organization of inter-sectoral inspection delegations on law enforcement and prevention of fishing vessels crossing boundaries to operate illegally in foreign waters.
Huong Tra (Hai Dang translated)