Removing the IUU 'yellow card': Localities take drastic action for the country's reputation

Nationwide, more than 28,000 fishing vessels have installed voyage monitoring devices. Localities have also stepped up efforts to thoroughly handle acts of violating fishing boundaries at sea.

Implementing the peak month of combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and sustainable development of Vietnam's fisheries industry, last week, localities across the country simultaneously launched campaigns to strictly control fishing fleets, resolutely handle violations, and promote the digitization of fisheries data.

The above activities are not only an urgent requirement to remove the “yellow card” warning of the European Commission (EC), but also an important step towards the goal of developing a modern, sustainable, and responsible marine economy .

Tightly control the fleet and severely punish violations.

After nearly 8 years of persistent action and innovation from policy to implementation, Vietnam has affirmed its high political determination and the synchronous participation of the entire system in removing the IUU "yellow card" warning.

Nationwide, more than 28,000 fishing vessels have installed VMS, accounting for more than 99% of the vessels required to install it according to regulations. (Source: VNA)

In early October, Vice President of the European Commission - Ms. Kaja Kallas also acknowledged Vietnam's important progress in preventing IUU and said that the European Commission plans to send a delegation on IUU to work in Vietnam in November 2025.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien said that in order to meet the EC's requirements on the goal of developing stable and sustainable fisheries, for the country's prestige and honor, at the 18th meeting of the National Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ministries, branches and coastal localities to strictly implement the directions of the Central Government and the Government.

In particular, review and thoroughly handle outstanding cases, ships losing connection to vehicle monitoring equipment (VMS), and violating foreign waters before October 31, 2025.

According to Mr. Tien, the implementation of the Peak Month of Action against IUU Fishing is the key stage for the fisheries industry to deploy a series of urgent solutions, including the task of removing bottlenecks and thoroughly handling violations of VMS.

To date, the country has had more than 28,000 fishing vessels installed with VMS, accounting for more than 99% of the vessels required to install them as prescribed. In recent times, local authorities have also stepped up efforts to thoroughly handle acts of disconnecting from VMS, violating fishing boundaries at sea, and violating foreign waters.

Notably, many localities have been showing great determination to thoroughly handle violations; apply technology, digital transformation through the electronic tracking system (eCDT) to remove the IUU "yellow card"; promote the digitization of fisheries data...

For example, in Ca Mau, recently, this locality has synchronously deployed many measures to strictly control the fleet, trace and strictly handle violations.

According to Mr. Le Van Su - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ca Mau province, as of October 30, the whole province had 5,230 fishing vessels in operation; of which, 1,942 vessels had the longest length of 15 meters or more - the group that must install the voyage monitoring device (VMS). Notably, 100% of the vessels that must install the equipment have completed. All cases of signal loss are updated, traced and handled according to the digitalization process.

Appreciating the spirit of engagement of the political system of Ca Mau province, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized that this is the locality with the largest fleet in the country. The province's results in combating IUU fishing are very important to Vietnam's common goal of removing the yellow card.

Therefore, the leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment requested Ca Mau province to continue to review and thoroughly trace fishing vessels that violate the law, strengthen administrative discipline and ensure that fishing data is always updated and transparent.

Many localities determined to complete before November 15

Affirming the determination to keep the sea blue, for the prestige and honor of the country, on October 27, the People's Committee of Gia Lai province also issued an Action Plan for the peak month of combating IUU fishing and developing a sustainable fisheries industry.

Accordingly, regarding the mechanism and policies for implementation, the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to preside over and coordinate with relevant departments, branches, units and People's Committees of communes and wards with fishing vessels to advise on the development, promulgation and implementation to ensure compliance with regulations, to be completed before November 15, 2025.

Determined to remove the IUU "yellow card". (Illustration photo. Source: VNA)

Regarding fleet management, according to the plan, before November 15, relevant departments and branches must ensure a firm grasp of the current situation (number of vessels, fishing vessels that have or have not been registered, inspected, licensed; fishing vessels that have been transferred, bought, sold, deregistered; fishing vessels operating outside the province, fishing vessels that have not installed VMS equipment...); strictly manage and prohibit unqualified fishing vessels from participating in fisheries exploitation.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment directed the Management Board of fishing ports in the province to inspect and control 100% of fishing vessels to follow the inspection and certification process for fishing vessels leaving and arriving at fishing ports in the province - to be completed before November 15.

Along with that, the Border Guard Command directed the Border Guard stations and checkpoints in the province to inspect and control 100% of fishing vessels entering and leaving ports at the border guard stations/posts in the province; prohibit unqualified fishing vessels from participating in fishing, and strictly handle any detected cases according to regulations.

In the new Lam Dong (after merging with Binh Thuan and Dak Nong), it has also become a locality with a large fishing fleet in the South Central - Central Highlands region. With thousands of fishing vessels operating regularly in the sea, in recent times, the management of fishing vessels, registration, inspection and voyage monitoring (VMS) has also been identified by the province as a key task.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province, the province currently has hundreds of fishing vessels operating mainly in offshore and coastal areas, of which a number of vessels have not completed registration and inspection procedures or have not been re-issued fishing licenses. Some fishing vessels have lost connection to VMS equipment since 2024 due to the vessel owners transferring, not operating or not performing equipment maintenance obligations.

Determined to work with the whole country to remove the IUU "yellow card", coastal localities and functional forces of Lam Dong province have also synchronously deployed many management solutions, from screening, statistics to guiding fishermen to complete legal documents.

Many localities have organized peak periods to support fishermen in deleting old registrations and inspections and issuing new fishing licenses, ensuring completion in 2025; inspection and supervision of fishing vessel activities have been strengthened, resolutely not allowing unqualified fishing vessels to go to sea and exploit outside permitted waters.

According to Vietnam+

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202511/go-the-vangiuu-cac-dia-phuong-vao-cuoc-quyet-liet-vi-uy-tin-dat-nuoc-55f288c/