HCMC – Vietnam is ramping up efforts to have the European Commission’s (EC) “yellow card” warning on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing lifted in 2026, with a focus on completing its electronic traceability system and addressing enforcement gaps at the local level.
Authorities are now required to inspect 100% of fishing vessels entering and leaving ports and passing through border guard stations via the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT). Core monitoring tools, including the vessel monitoring system (VMS), the VNFishbase database and violation handling systems, must be fully integrated from central to local levels by June 2026.
The measures are outlined in Official Dispatch No. 34/CĐ-TTg, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung on April 25, aimed at addressing persistent shortcomings in the fight against illegal fishing.
The directive follows the EC’s fifth inspection in March, which found that despite progress, Vietnam has yet to meet the bloc’s stringent requirements to have the warning removed. Key bottlenecks include weak coordination in monitoring, limited traceability of imported seafood shipped in containers, and slow handling of administrative violations in coastal provinces.
To provide a credible report to the EC inspection team and secure the removal of the “yellow card,” the Government has urged ministries and local authorities to implement synchronized technical solutions, ensuring transparency and accountability across the fisheries management system.
Under the directive, all seafood arriving at ports must be fully verified for origin. Authorities will also review documentation for all tuna and swordfish shipments imported and exported to the European market since 2024 to improve supply chain transparency.
On enforcement, the Government has called for intensified investigations and prosecutions of brokerage networks facilitating illegal fishing in foreign waters. Serious violations, including loss of VMS connectivity and illegal incursions into foreign waters, must be handled strictly to serve as a deterrent.
Heads of ministries and local governments will be held accountable before the prime minister if violations persist and undermine national efforts to have the “yellow card” lifted. The agriculture sector has also been tasked with developing sustainable livelihood transition plans and promoting offshore aquaculture to support fishermen as controls tighten.
