Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam is entering a decisive phase in its efforts to have the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” against seafood exports for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing lifted.
Removing the warning is essential to building a responsible fisheries sector, ensuring sustainable development, and strengthening transparency across the seafood value chain as the country seeks to expand into global markets.
Following instructions from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has, over the past week, continued dispatching working groups to coastal localities to assess progress, propose solutions, and remind associations and businesses to strictly comply with regulations on the purchase and import of legally sourced seafood.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien, who also serves as Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing, said localities have received detailed guidance on vessel registration and licensing to standardise fleet data. All fishing vessels nationwide have now completed registration and licensing procedures, been updated on VNFishbase, and eliminated the long-standing problem of “three-no” vessels — those without registration, licence or technical inspection.
Key tasks ordered by the Prime Minister have also been implemented, including installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) for vessels 12–15 metres long, digital identification via VNeID, electronic logbooks, disposal of non-compliant vessels, and livelihood support for fishermen.
Regarding administrative violations, only 0.33% of cases remain unresolved - a major improvement, according to Tien. Vietnam is also providing additional explanations to the EC regarding the handling of foreign-flagged vessels and traceability of certain seafood products.
To ensure the yellow card can be lifted in 2025, ministry-led working groups headed by Tien and leaders of the Department of Fisheries and Fishery Surveillance have continued inspecting localities and urging prompt and decisive settlement of outstanding violations.
Recent inspections showed positive progress in provinces such as An Giang, Nghe An and Quang Ninh.
In An Giang, authorities have completed 17 out of 19 assigned tasks, reviewed all vessels, ensured 100% proper vessel identification markings, and achieved 100% monitoring of vessels of 15 metres or more.
The province has also reviewed all traceability documents and ensured 100% inspection and verification of incoming and outgoing vessels using the eCDT electronic traceability system.
In Nghe An, 17 of 19 tasks have been completed. All 1,041 eligible vessels have installed VMSs to ensure round-the-clock monitoring, with timely alerts issued for signal loss or boundary violations. Two ongoing tasks involve livelihood-transition policies and support for fishermen to upgrade monitoring equipment, expected to be submitted to the provincial People’s Council in December.
Nguyen Quang Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries and Fishery Surveillance, stressed that the Government’s stance is unequivocal, Vietnam must eliminate IUU fishing. During a recent working session in Nghe An, he instructed the province to tighten control over vessels losing VMS connection or lacking departure clearance and to manage port entry and exit.
He also urged the province to set up a specialised task force to review outstanding cases, strengthen deterrence through strict penalties, prevent violations in foreign waters — a decisive criterion in the EC’s evaluation — and intensify communication to ensure 100% compliance.
In An Giang, during a working session on November 28, Tien requested stringent control of all vessels at port, at sea and offshore, and a strict ban on non-compliant vessels. Violations involving VMS disconnection must be investigated promptly and fully, and all cases involving fishing in foreign waters must be resolved.
He also called on the province to invest more in port and fisheries infrastructure to meet development needs, emphasising that the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment must advise the provincial People’s Committee on allocating adequate funding, equipment and human resources to combat IUU practices.
For seafood businesses, the ministry has also instructed the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the Vietnam Tuna Association and seafood importers to ensure that all products sourced from wild-caught fisheries comply fully with IUU regulations. Enterprises must verify the legality of catch origins, thoroughly review all import and domestic procurement documents, and ensure full traceability up to the point of export to Europe.
Crucially, businesses will bear full legal responsibility for all documents and information submitted to competent authorities./.
