Remove the 'yellow card' IUU: Confront, not cope

Positive developments regarding IUU

On February 27, in Tuy Hoa City, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) collaborated with the People's Committee of Phu Yen Province to organize a conference on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The conference also prepared content and plans for working with the European Commission (EC) inspection team. The event was attended by representatives from eight provinces and cities, from Hue to Ninh Thuan.

Mr. Vu Duyen Hai, Deputy Director of the Fisheries Department, stated that, in accordance with the directives from the Party Central Committee, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Head of the National Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing, as well as the guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there have been positive developments in the fight against IUU fishing in Vietnam as a whole, and particularly in the central provinces. These changes are especially evident in the management of the fishing fleet.

Mr. Hai emphasized that the country has a strong political commitment and clear, decisive leadership from central authorities, which has led to notable progress in fulfilling the European Commission's (EC) recommendations.

However, to continue advancing these efforts and help eliminate the yellow card, local authorities must continue their management of the fishing fleet to ensure that all vessels are operating in strict compliance with regulations. Specifically, this includes announcing and enforcing the quota for fishing permits, strengthening vessel inspections, issuing fishing licenses for boats that have registered, ensuring proper marking and numbering of fishing vessels, and consistently updating data on the National Fisheries Database (VnFishbase) as well as on the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).

In addition, it is crucial to ensure that vessels that do not meet the necessary conditions are not permitted to operate. To achieve this, local authorities must compile a list of boats, assign personnel to monitor the anchorage locations of each vessel and request that the owners of non-compliant vessels remove all fishing gear and equipment from the boats.

The monitoring of the fishing fleet must be thoroughly checked, controlled and any violations must be dealt with in accordance with established regulations. The solution for carrying out these tasks involves closely monitoring, inspecting, controlling and addressing any violations by each fishing vessel within fishing communities, at fishing ports, border guard stations and at sea. Specifically, monitoring within the community should involve various agencies, such as inspectors, police and border guards. Monitoring at the port of departure includes cooperation between fishing ports, inspectors, border guards, police and at sea, it requires the involvement of border guards, fisheries inspectors and coast guards.

In terms of traceability, it is crucial to ensure that certificates of origin for seafood caught are issued in full compliance with IUU fishing regulations. Local authorities need to inspect and monitor fishing vessels as required by Circular 21 and Circular 01. They must also enter data on each voyage into Google Sheets and implement electronic seafood traceability (eCDT). Additionally, authorities must review all documents related to the issuance of certificates and the certification of seafood to ensure they are in line with the regulations.

Regarding law enforcement, Mr. Hai insisted that violations must be dealt with thoroughly and strictly. The results of penalties should be monitored and reported based on the national database.

To implement this task, localities need to focus on directing and ensuring sufficient human resources to carry out the Directive 32 of the Party Central Committee, Resolution 52 of the Government, and Official Letter 992 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, among others.

Mr. Tran Phuoc Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ngai Province, shared that, under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the efforts to combat IUU fishing in the province have shown positive changes. The province has instructed the Border Guards and local authorities to assign specific individuals to manage each fishing vessel. At the same time, the responsibility of the Border Guards has been emphasized in monitoring "three-no boats" (boats that are unregistered, unlicensed and do not report), as well as requesting the provincial police to direct local law enforcement to manage vessels that are at risk of violating regulations.

Preparing to welcome the EC delegation

Ms. Nguyen Thi Trang Nhung, Head of the Science, Technology and International Cooperation Department (Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department), stated that the National Steering Committee had issued Decision No. 728 on February 18, 2025, regarding the comprehensive plan for welcoming and working with the fifth European Commission (EC) inspection team on combating IUU fishing.

According to Ms. Nhung, when the EC delegation arrives, the working discussions will focus on four major issues. First, the management of the fishing fleet, which includes controlling fishing vessels violating foreign waters, monitoring, inspecting and supervising fishing vessels, catch volumes at ports, and the activities of fishing vessels at sea.

Second, controlling seafood raw materials sourced from fishing and imported into Vietnam via containers, in accordance with the regulations outlined in the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).

Third, seafood traceability from fishing operations.

Fourth, law enforcement, particularly controlling vessels violating foreign waters, and the implementation of the amendments in Decree No. 37/2024/ND-CP and Decree No. 38/2024/ND-CP.

The program of the European Commission (EC) delegation will involve meetings with the National Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing, the management of fishing ports, the Fisheries Inspection and Control Office, the Fisheries Sub-Department, the Fishing Vessel Monitoring Center, and enterprises in the sector.

According to Ms. Nhung, there is a possibility that the EC inspection team will assess the implementation of the EC’s recommendations in the central provinces during this visit. As a result, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has instructed local authorities to report on the relevant matters outlined in Official Letter No. 992 from MARD by February 28, 2025, so that the information can be compiled and submitted to the EC.

After hearing the comments and feedback, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized that in order to lift the "yellow card" issued by the European Commission, Vietnam must fully and rigorously implement all four recommendations. These include: managing the fishing fleet, monitoring the fleet, ensuring traceability of seafood and addressing administrative violations effectively.

The leadership of MARD expressed their satisfaction with how the provinces have clearly recognized the importance of the issue. This awareness is reflected in their strong commitment to solving the problem, based on the clear directives from the Party Central Committee, Decision No. 52 from the Prime Minister and Resolution No. 04 from the Supreme People’s Court.

According to Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, alongside the effort to remove the "yellow card" issued by the European Commission (EC), fostering the development of sustainable fisheries is a crucial approach to alleviating the pressure on fishing activities, thus enabling a shift in the industry. He further expressed his agreement with the localities regarding the importance of investing in fishing port infrastructure, which would, in turn, enhance the effectiveness of traceability systems for seafood.

However, in the immediate term, local authorities must focus on investing in the necessary equipment, personnel, and infrastructure to fully equip the fishing ports. Additionally, it is essential to resolve and coordinate efforts across the entire political system to effectively address violations related to IUU fishing.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized: "If we ensure coordinated efforts among the police, border guards, coast guards, navy, local governments, and social organizations, I am certain we will be able to achieve success. Our history has shown that when the entire political system comes together, we are capable of solving any challenge".

In addition, the Deputy Minister highlighted that the upcoming visit of the European Commission (EC) inspection team to Vietnam represents a crucial and timely opportunity for the country to resolve the issue of the "yellow card". Given this, the Deputy Minister expressed a strong desire for the leadership of the provinces, departments, and districts - who are already fully aware of the gravity of the situation - to make a firm commitment to taking decisive and immediate action. He stressed that it is essential for the local authorities to directly face the challenges rather than attempting to avoid them or merely react.

It is expected that the EC delegation will finalize their approach between March 21 and 31 during their visit to Vietnam. Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien pointed out that local authorities and businesses must proactively develop their plans. He stressed that if there is close and coordinated cooperation, with a clear and determined focus on the "5 clear principles" (clear responsibilities, clear tasks, clear timelines, clear resources and clear accountability) as outlined by the Prime Minister, the country will surely succeed in resolving the "yellow card" issue once and for all.