With the visit of the European Commission’s delegations ahead, Vietnam’s ports and fishers are aiming to remedy the previously criticised issues regarding international fishing regulations.
A delegation of the European Commission (EC) will come to Vietnam on October 20-28 to examine remedies for the yellow card that was issued following alleged illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Vietnam’s 28 coastal provinces and cities are undergoing major upgrades to overcome the EC’s yellow card through Decision No.1077/QD-TTg on preventing and combating IUU by 2025, which was issued by the prime minister on September 14.
The project aims to remove the yellow card, manage fishing activities, and protect seafood resources sustainably, responsible, and in the spirit of global integration.
The country has been warned for not complying with the regulations since 2017, with all seafood exported to the EU being controlled thoroughly instead of just being occasionally checked.
Vietnam is aiming to remove the yellow card as soon as possible with a series of institutional changes, including amendments to the Law on Fisheries 2017.
The law concretised regulations on the management of fishery traceability to strictly control the supply chain. For instance, vessels must notify two hours in advance when the ship leaves or docks and must present complete papers and a declaration for functional checks. If all conditions are satisfied, they shall be stamped on the certification.
Vietnam has also updated and integrated regulations of export markets into the legal framework for transparent, effective, and responsible management. In particular, the traceability of aquatic products is considered one of the important contents for tracing products to manage the fisheries in a modern way in line with worldwide standards.