At the 14th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing on the afternoon of 23/9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that the entire political system must be involved, and leaders at all levels must take responsibility for resolving the yellow card issue.

"We must re-establish order in fleet management in accordance with the law, develop sustainable and safe offshore fishing, and improve the material and spiritual life of coastal residents," the prime minister said.

The meeting, connected online with 21 coastal provinces and cities, assessed nearly 8 years of effort since the European Commission (EC) issued the yellow card warning on seafood. Vietnam has achieved positive results, such as 99% of fishing vessels equipped with journey monitoring devices, a decrease in violations of foreign waters, and gradual improvement of the legal system. However, recidivism persists, vessel control is not thorough, and some localities have lax leadership and direction.

The prime minister chairs the 14th meeting of the Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing. Photo: VGP

The prime minister chairs the 14th meeting of the Steering Committee for Combating IUU Fishing. Photo: VGP

"Seafood development must be fundamental, sustainable, and not fragmented or reactive," the prime minister said, adding that in October, an EC inspection team will visit Vietnam to assess the situation of IUU fishing combat.

He assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to prepare a progress report for the EC, organize working groups, and comply with international law and Vietnam's commitments. This ministry also needs to coordinate with inspection agencies and rectify localities to definitively handle IUU violations.

The Ministry of National Defense will increase fishing vessel control, patrols, and strictly handle violations such as loss of VMS signal, border crossing, or illegal fishing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide information on detained fishermen and promote border demarcation negotiations and fishing cooperation with neighboring countries. The Ministry of Public Security will investigate broker networks that take fishermen abroad for illegal fishing and prosecute those responsible.

Coastal provinces and cities must completely handle illegal fishing vessels, closely monitor port entry and exit activities, and trace the origin of seafood. The chairmen of the People's Committees of these localities are responsible to the government if violations occur.

To ensure the legal origin of seafood, the prime minister requested that industry associations and businesses absolutely refrain from purchasing, processing, and exporting seafood from IUU sources.

In 10/2017, the EC announced the yellow card warning for Vietnam's exported seafood due to concerns about illegal fishing. This means Vietnamese seafood exported to the EU will be subject to 100% inspection instead of random checks, resulting in increased costs for businesses.

After nearly 8 years, seafood exports to the EU have decreased significantly, from about 18% of total export value to 10% currently. In addition to the loss in export value, the IUU yellow card has also led to increased export costs, longer customs clearance times, and a decline in the reputation of Vietnamese seafood in the international market. Since then, Vietnam has made many efforts to remove the EC yellow card to facilitate seafood exports and reduce costs for businesses.

Thi Ha