HCMC – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, speaking at his meeting with a European Commission (EC) inspection delegation on March 19, said that Vietnam is determined to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in a bid to get the “yellow card” warning lifted.
Vietnam sees the fight against IUU as a vital mission for sustainable marine development, biodiversity protection, and the long-term livelihoods of coastal communities, he was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying at the meeting.
The EC delegation, led by Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, director for International Ocean Governance and Sustainable Fisheries, acknowledged the achievements Vietnam has made in the past eight years, including the near-100% installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS), the operationalization of the national fisheries database (VNFishbase) and the implementation of the electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) system.
But the EC inspectors also pointed out critical areas for improvement, particularly the transparency of raw materials in export processing plants and the need for stricter enforcement against VMS disconnections.
Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha confirmed that Vietnam is prepared to adopt a single law that amends multiple laws to swiftly close legal loopholes. He said administrative fines have been significantly increased, and the Government is considering criminal prosecution against serious fraud, alongside measures like license suspension and vessel confiscation to ensure maximum deterrence.
According to Guimaraes, the EC delegation is ready to assist Vietnam in officially exiting the IUU yellow card status and fostering a sustainable blue economy.
Beyond IUU, Vietnam aims to expand its marine protected areas to 6% of its territorial waters by 2030 and transition towards high-tech aquaculture.
