HCMC – Japan, one of the world’s largest fish importers, will strengthen regulations against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Vietnamese seafood export from December 1.
The anti-IUU regulation will be imposed on squid, cuttlefish, Pacific saury, codfish and sardines originating from Vietnam.
Nguyen Nhu Tiep, director of the Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (Nafiqad) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, issued an official document on the declaration of seafood exported to Japan.
Accordingly, a legal catch certificate issued by the provincial fishery quality assurance agencies will be required to export the local catch of the aforenamed fish.
As for products made from imported catch, the batches will be censored by the Nafiqad with its guarantee of exporting fishery products processed from the imported catch.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry imposed the regulation on seafood originating from Vietnam as an anti-IUU measure. At the same time, the regulation has long been stated in Vietnamese circulars by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Nafiqad has told Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance centers to start filing to appraise and ensure legal sources of imported material for exportation.
In addition, businesses exporting seafood to Japan’s market will be instructed on meeting the regulations against IUU fishing.
