The inspection team of the European Commission (EC) will conduct its 5th inspection at the end of the second quarter of 2024. The focus will evaluate Vietnam’s fight against IUU fishing. The results will decide whether the "Yellow Card" warning against Vietnamese seafood is to be removed.

10 tasks and solutions in fighting IUU fishing

Despite encouraging results, the fourth inspection session of EC’s inspection team from October 10-18 revealed some drawbacks in Vietnam’s efforts to stop illegal and unreported fishing in waters outside Vietnam’s boundaries. Illegal fishing in international waters continues to occur, law enforcement is asynchronous, and gaps remain in enforcement against violations. For example, fishing vessel monitoring systems have yet to be installed in all units, meaning origin tracing on fish catches is problematic. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on November 4 informed ministers and chairman of central-level provinces on instructions to combat IUU fishing. In the event that those tasks are not implemented properly, the worst-case scenario of a ‘red card’ imposed by the EC on Vietnamese seafood exports is likely, he stressed. The PM’s instructions set out 10 tasks involving the legal framework, vessel management, origin traceability, enforcement, and frequent inspections among others to help in the fight. The Prime Minister also criticized Ba Ria-Vung Tau province for being negligent in implementing these tasks. Binh Dinh province, however, now leads the efforts in the fight against IUU. Prime Minister Chinh stressed that removing the ‘yellow card’ is critical to the national interest in developing a sustainable seafood and fisheries sector. It also shows Vietnam’s commitment in adhering to international rules in line with protecting biodiversity and contributing to safeguarding fish resources in international waters.

Shortcomings needs to be timely addressed

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said in the past six years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has worked in cooperation with other Ministries to implement measures against IUU fishing. These efforts have been recognized by the EC inspection team. However, the team also made note of Vietnam’s shortcomings. Regarding this issue, Deputy Minister Tien urged relevant ministries and agencies to be more serious in handling violations. Tien said that there are still fishing vessels operating under the “Three Nos”. These include no registration, no monitoring system, and no fishing license. Some vessels continue to operate but are disconnected from the Vessel Management System (VMS), at times for up to 10 days. Some go offline for months or even years. The Deputy Minister asked relevant authorities and law enforcement agencies to punish such vessels in line with Decree No. 42./.