HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City is implementing a “peak action month against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing” with a series of concrete and practical measures, contributing to nationwide efforts to have the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning on IUU fishing removed as soon as possible.
An EC delegation is scheduled to come to Vietnam this November to assess the implementation outcomes of the EC's recommendations on anti-IUU fishing. The coming inspection is said to hold decisive importance to the consideration of the "yellow card" removal.
Speaking at an October 30 press briefing on the city’s socio-economic situation, Pham Thi Na, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment, said HCM City currently has about 4,900 fishing vessels, many of which operate regularly in southern waters. Therefore, effective management of the fishing fleet is crucial for fulfilling Vietnam’s commitments to combating IUU fishing.
During this action month, the department has directed the municipal Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-department to closely coordinate with coastal communes and wards to review the entire fleet and remove damaged, obsolete, or out-of-province vessels from the national database.
All active vessels must be updated and managed via the national fisheries database system, which allows real-time monitoring of vessel activities. This system enables the EC to track data on Vietnamese fishing boats anywhere, ensuring all fishing activities are recorded transparently and can be verified, Na noted.
In addition to fleet management, all nine fishing ports in HCM City have been equipped with the electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) system. Every fishing vessel of 15m or longer is required to submit electronic fishing logbooks upon docking and undergo cross-checks by the fisheries surveillance force, border guards, and port authorities. This is an important step to ensure traceability and compliance with EU standards.
At sea, the city operates two coastal monitoring stations, one managed by the Border Guard Command and the other by the Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-department, which run 24 hours a day to track all vessels through their monitoring devices.
Thanks to enhanced surveillance and coordination, the number of HCM City fishing vessels detained by foreign authorities has dropped sharply, from 23 cases in 2020 to one in 2024 and no incidents recorded since August 2024. This is a highly positive sign, reflecting the effectiveness of control measures and the growing compliance awareness among fishermen.
Since 2024, the city has equipped all border guard posts and fishing ports with computers, positioning devices and traceability software. As a result, all seafood catches are now updated on the eCDT electronic system, ensuring transparency and continuity from harvesting to processing and export. Fishing vessels also use electronic logbooks connected to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s central system.
According to Na, strict law enforcement is a decisive factor in the EC’s consideration of lifting the “yellow card”. All violations are promptly detected, verified, investigated and handled. To date, the city has resolved nearly all cases with signs of violation, with only 11 cases of signal disconnection still under investigation.
HCM City is currently home to more than 50 seafood processing and exporting enterprises and around 30,000 workers directly and indirectly involved in the sector. Lifting the “yellow card” will not only help restore access to the European market but also reduce inspection costs, enhance business competitiveness, and stabilise fishermen’s livelihoods.
The city affirms that anti-IUU fishing measures will be maintained on a regular and long-term basis. Electronic management, vessel monitoring, and traceability systems, along with law enforcement efforts, will continue to be upgraded and synchronised across relevant agencies and localities.
Compliance with fishing and exploitation regulations, Na stressed, is not just to respond to the EC’s inspection but also to ensure the sustainable and responsible development of Vietnam’s fisheries sector in line with environmental protection and international commitments./.
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To fully address the EC’s recommendations, the port will strengthen guidance for fishermen on using electronic catch logbooks. This aims to improve management, monitoring, and supervision of catch volumes while ensuring aquatic product traceability in compliance with regulations.
