No Use of Force Against Fishermen Violating Foreign Waters

Given the situation where fishing boats and fishermen frequently violate foreign waters, leading to their detention, thereby affecting Vietnam's image on the international stage and adversely impacting the export of Vietnamese seafood to the global market, the Prime Minister has requested ministries and central authorities and localities to concentrate on solving several issues to rectify the situation. Specifically:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

- Implement measures to protect fishermen, ensuring no use of force or threat of force against Vietnamese fishing boats and fishermen violating foreign waters;- Within the waters of Vietnam and overlapping waters where boundaries have not been delineated between Vietnam and other countries, resolutely oppose the unlawful detention of Vietnamese fishing boats and fishermen by other countries.

Ministry of Public Security:

- Direct police units and localities to heighten awareness of the situation, promptly detect, investigate, and strictly handle cases of organizing the dispatch of fishing boats and fishermen to illegally exploit seafood in foreign waters or mediating the ransom of detained fishing boats and fishermen;- Collaborate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries and central authorities to quickly verify the identity of fishermen detained abroad, conduct protective measures, and hasten their return to the country;- Rigorously manage the fishermen returned from abroad, detect and address cases influenced, bribed, or coerced by foreign entities or hostile forces into activities that infringe upon national security, public order, and social safety.

Ministry of National Defense: Direct functional forces to:

- Strictly control fishing boats upon departure and arrival at ports; resolutely prevent departures if procedures, documents, and equipment are incomplete. Unit commanders are accountable to the Ministry of National Defense and before the law for any violations;- Take the lead, in cooperation with relevant forces, to enhance patrolling, control, and address violations by foreign fishing boats within Vietnamese waters, focusing on border waters, overlapping areas, zones with frequent fishing activities, and areas with common violations; prevent Vietnamese fishing boats from infringing upon foreign waters. Emphasize the detection and strict handling of brokerage, investment in violating fishing boats, and illegal ransom of detained fishing boats and fishermen;- Collaborate with relevant ministries and central authorities to review and amend legal documents on fishery activities.

In the spirit of the Prime Minister's directive in Official Telegram 732/CD-TTg, the People's Committees of provinces and cities, particularly Quang Ngai, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Binh Dinh, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Thuan, Ben Tre, and Tien Giang, must:

- Review, clarify responsibilities, and impose measures on relevant local authorities and departments for allowing frequent violations by fishing boats and fishermen; if violations are not prevented, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and heads of local government units will be held accountable to the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam;- Deny fishing licenses and construction permits to shipowners with re-offending fishing boats. Detained, ransomed, or escaped fishing boats returning to the country will temporarily suspend ownership transfer and revoke fishing licenses for six months;- Violating fishing boats will not be entitled to state support policies;- Enhance the responsibility and operational capacity of the local 689 Task Force, closely coordinate relevant forces to monitor, investigate, and strictly handle brokerage activities and illegal investments in fishing boats violating foreign waters; ransom of detained fishing boats and fishermen;- Require violating shipowners to bear the costs incurred in repatriating violating fishermen; if the shipowner does not cover these costs, the locality with the violating boat must bear the responsibility;- Offshore fishing boats must be equipped with journey monitoring devices, operative 24/7, for regulatory control and supervision;- Effectively organize the traceability of harvested seafood; rigorously inspect, control, and strictly handle illegal harvesting, consumption, and processing of sea cucumbers and rare seafood;- Compile a strict list, arrange for review sessions with re-offending shipowners, captains, and fishermen detained overseas for community accountability in local areas.

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