Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has asked relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to strive to have the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing lifted before April 30, 2024. 

Chairing the 8th meeting of the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention and Control in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on December 13, he noted that the yellow card warning should be removed before the EU Parliamentary elections next year.

The meeting was held to implement recommendations from the EC after their fourth inspection in Vietnam in October.

The EC has recommended that Vietnam enhance measures for detecting, preventing, and prosecuting violators related to illegal fishing in foreign waters, especially those who intentionally disconnect their vessel monitoring systems (VMS) near the boundaries of the Exclusive Economic Zone.

It also asked for tighter control to ensure that deregistered fishing vessels are not allowed to engage in fishing activities, and to guarantee the accuracy of the information on fishing vessels on the National Fisheries Database (VNFishbase), he said. Vietnam was requested to continue building a master plan for sustainable fisheries development in the period to 2050.

The EC also urged Vietnam to keep close control of and investigate fishing ports involved in the confirmation and certification of the origin of aquatic products.

Deputy Prime Minister Quang said a campaign will be launched to crack down on illegal fishing, to have the EC’s yellow card removed.

The Ministry of Public Security was tasked with urgently investigating and prosecuting cases involved in luring Vietnamese vessels and fishermen to illegal fish in foreign waters.