Removing the IUU 'yellow card', the whole country is determined to reach the finish line in 2025

Currently, 100% of fishing vessels have completed registration, inspection, and data update to the national fisheries system VNFishbase, ending the "3 no" status of vessels (no registration, no fishing license, no inspection).

Tighten control of fishing vessels

According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , in order to remove the IUU “yellow card” in 2025, the Ministry has continuously sent working groups to localities to promptly grasp the situation and propose plans for localities to handle violating fishing vessels. The working group acknowledged that the work of preventing and combating IUU fishing in localities is having positive changes and gradually getting into order.

Specifically, in Thanh Hoa there are currently 6,243 fishing vessels, of which 1,014/1,014 offshore fishing vessels have installed vessel monitoring equipment (VMS), reaching 100%. All fishing vessels have also been registered, inspected, marked, numbered and entered into VNFishbase. The entire province has no fishing vessels violating foreign waters.

Thanh Hoa currently has 4 fishing ports that have been announced to open, including: Hoa Loc, Lach Hoi, Lach Bang and Hai Chau, of which 3 fishing ports are designated as qualified to confirm and certify the origin of aquatic products. Since the beginning of the year, about 24,139 tons of aquatic products have been unloaded through the ports; 31 certificates of aquatic product origin have been issued.

Management, control of fishing vessels, monitoring of journeys and handling of violations have been enhanced, contributing to deterrence, with 100% of violating fishing vessels being updated in the database.

The Government and localities are determined to remove the IUU 'yellow card' by 2025.

In An Giang , the fleet from shore to sea is also strictly managed. Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan said that by the end of November 2025, the province had completed 17/19 tasks on combating IUU fishing in the area assigned by the Prime Minister. In particular, the province has reviewed 100% of fishing vessels that are not qualified to operate, clearly assigned responsibilities, and specifically delegated to local authorities and Border Guard forces in controlling fishing vessels entering and leaving ports.

" Ships that do not meet the requirements will be resolutely stopped and not allowed to leave port. Ships that are not numbered or marked according to regulations will not be allowed to operate ," Mr. Toan emphasized.

100% of fishing vessels of 15m or more are monitored via VMS, ensuring 24/7 monitoring. All records of seafood traceability, including fishing vessel records, fishing logs, unloading output through ports, certificates, and certificates of origin are reviewed according to regulations, synchronously applying the eCDT electronic traceability system.

In particular, the functional forces of An Giang province have proactively focused on managing the group of "high-risk" vessels, the group of vessels that are not qualified to operate, and the group of vessels with a history of violating VMS connections. Vessels in this group are monitored in the spirit of "4 clear": clear quantity, clear ship owner, clear area, clear management responsibility. Many vessels have been labeled "not qualified to operate" to limit the situation of secretly going to sea.

Meanwhile, Nghe An province is implementing many creative models, notably the form of theatrical propaganda. Through dramatic situations that truly reflect the lives of fishermen, viewers better understand the consequences of violating foreign waters, as well as the importance of recording fishing logs and maintaining VMS. Thanks to this creative approach, the rate of fishing vessels losing connection to VMS has decreased significantly compared to the same period in 2024.

This method was also applied by Ho Chi Minh City when organizing a mock trial and a legal discussion on combating IUU fishing in Vung Tau ward and Long Hai commune. The trial was staged based on real situations, and was a first-instance trial of a criminal case on two charges: “Organizing illegal exit for others” and “Disrupting the operation of electronic devices”.

According to the indictment, in order to profit from illegal fishing in foreign waters, the ship owner illegally took fishermen out of the country to fish. To avoid detection, the defendants asked the fishermen to erase their fishing vessel registration numbers and remove their voyage monitoring devices. This behavior was determined to be dangerous to society, infringing on administrative management order and hindering Vietnam’s work to combat IUU fishing.

Ready to welcome EC inspection delegation

It is expected that at the end of this year, the European Commission (EC) inspection delegation will visit Vietnam to inspect the implementation of requirements against illegal fishing.

At the 23rd online meeting of the National Steering Committee on removing the IUU "yellow card" on November 25, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that the whole country always be ready to welcome the EC and provide information to ensure completeness, consistency, and synchronization among ministries, branches, and localities.

It is expected that by the end of this year, the EC will visit Vietnam to inspect the implementation of requirements against illegal fishing.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is assigned to continue to inspect and guide all coastal localities with fishing vessels to carefully prepare for the work with the 5th EC inspection team. Continue to complete the Negotiation Plan, work with the EC inspection team and report on the progress of combating IUU fishing.

In addition, proactively contact the EC's Directorate General for Marine and Seafood Affairs to clarify and provide necessary information to serve the inspection team; regularly maintain contact, exchange, and provide full information to the EC, and report to the Government and Prime Minister on matters beyond its authority.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien said that with the drastic participation of the entire political system, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has submitted to the Government a supplementary report as requested by the EC, along with scenarios for welcoming the inspection team. Based on the results achieved in the past time, Vietnam has ensured and maintained the international integration of fisheries in a responsible manner. Vietnam hopes to remove the IUU "yellow card", maintain responsible fisheries, transparent traceability and sustainable development.

" Fighting IUU fishing is not only an immediate task but also a long-term, regular task. Provinces need to prepare complete documents and evidence, be ready to serve the EC inspection team, and be determined to work with the whole country to remove the "yellow card" in 2025 ," Mr. Tien emphasized.

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