Determined to have the “yellow card” on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing removed during the European Commission’s fourth inspection this October, Vietnam’s ultimate goal is to maintain its marine stockpile and foster its biodiversity, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan has said.

“If this ‘card’ is lifted without ensuring sustainability, another is very likely,” he believes.

If Vietnam can manage both the utilization and protection of marine sources and develop protected marine areas, the country will not only reap economic values but also reduce over-exploitation.

“Neighboring countries such as the Philippines and Thailand have adopted strict punishment for violations by fishing vessels,” Minister Hoan said. “However, nearly 60 per cent of violations in Vietnam go unpunished.”

It is time to adopt strict penalties on fishing violations, he believes, or there will never be change.

Based on the three pillars of a marine economy - harvesting, breeding, and conserving - the ministry has introduced plans for the utilization and protection of aquatic resources and has zoned eleven of 17 protected marine areas.

It targets the number of protected marine areas accounting for 6 per cent of the marine area by 2030, but the figure currently stands at less than 0.12 per cent.