Determined to have the IUU "yellow card" lifted.

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The European Commission (EC) inspection team is expected to visit Vietnam this March for its fifth on-site inspection. This inspection is particularly important as the results will determine whether the EC lifts the "yellow card" or potentially upgrades it to a "red card" warning for Vietnamese seafood.

Fishing fleets from Da Nang city head out to sea to harvest seafood. (Photo: LAN ANH)

Top priority

During the spring days, ports across the country become bustling with activity, filled with the hurried and enthusiastic spirit of workers hoping for a bountiful and prosperous new fishing season.

The ships that sailed through the Lunar New Year are now returning home with holds full of fish and shrimp, and the joy of reunion; after the "opening of the sea" ceremony with its sacred cultural significance, the ships are bustling out of the harbor, carrying with them wishes for favorable weather, calm seas, and boats returning with holds full of shrimp and fish.

The red flags with yellow stars planted on the cabin roofs fluttered in the wind, carrying with them hope for a new fishing season and the determination to strictly enforce regulations against IUU fishing.

Setting sail at the first day of spring has become a beautiful tradition, holding special significance for fishermen. In the Van Don Special Economic Zone, Quang Ninh province, the Fishing Festival is solemnly organized, carrying with it faith and hope for the first voyages to welcome the spring with good fortune, while also fulfilling the responsibility of contributing to the nationwide effort to lift the "yellow card" warning.

Mr. Dao Van Vu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Don Special Economic Zone, emphasized that all fishing vessels leaving the port must declare their activities on the National Fisheries Database system (VNFishbase) and maintain the connection of their vessel tracking devices (VMS) to link economic development with combating IUU fishing.

Removing the "yellow card" has also become a shared determination among many fishermen. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, a fisherman in the Van Don Special Economic Zone, shared: "When fishermen go out to sea, they are determined not to violate IUU fishing regulations or encroach on foreign waters for short-term gains. The profit from each fishing trip is important, but it cannot compare to the image of the nation and the desire to develop sustainable fishing practices."

March is also the peak fishing season for northern fish, a time when fishing fleets are most active nationwide. During this period of abundant fish and high vessel activity, EC inspectors will pay particular attention to monitoring violations, as this is the time when authorities find it most difficult to control and serious IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing violations are most likely to occur.

According to the plan, in March, the EC inspection team will conduct on-site inspections in Ho Chi Minh City and several coastal localities nationwide. Therefore, in many provinces and cities with fishing activities, the authorities have launched a peak inspection campaign to check compliance with regulations on combating IUU fishing.

The "final sprint" phase

Determined to achieve the best results in the effort to lift the IUU "yellow card," Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien emphasized that functional forces must be more decisive and strictly handle violating fishing vessels; "going to the very end and imposing heavy fines" to create a deterrent effect. The management of fishing vessels operating at sea needs to be thoroughly and tightly controlled; at the same time, a concerted effort is needed to complete the dossier and prepare as best as possible for welcoming the EC delegation. The period from now until March 10th is the "final push," requiring the decisive involvement of the entire political system to contribute to the nationwide effort to lift the "yellow card" warning.

Ho Chi Minh City has a large fishing fleet, extensive fishing grounds, and borders the waters of many neighboring countries, making patrolling and controlling IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing activities extremely difficult and complex. However, with the close and decisive involvement of the Party Committee and all levels of government, along with the joint efforts and solidarity of fishermen, the fight against IUU fishing in the city has yielded positive results.

Notably, the dissemination of legal information on combating IUU fishing has been widely implemented through various innovative models, such as "Morning Coffee with Fishermen" and "Mock Trials." Through these initiatives, the sense of responsibility among fishermen has been significantly raised, making a crucial contribution to thoroughly addressing IUU fishing at its root.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Na, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City, as of February 24th, the city had over 4,400 registered fishing vessels; all were updated on VNFishbase and the vessel owner's information was synchronized with the VNeID population database. In monitoring maritime activities, over 2,200 fishing vessels with a length of 15 meters or more have installed VMS (Vehicle Monitoring System). Notably, since the beginning of 2026, the city has not had any fishing vessels crossing the boundary or losing connection for more than 10 days.

In preparation for working with the EC inspection team, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang said that the Ministry is coordinating with other ministries and sectors, especially localities, to focus on inspecting, reviewing, and preparing documents, determined to achieve the best results in the effort to lift the "yellow card" warning for the fisheries sector.

The Minister affirmed that, in accordance with the directives of the Party Central Committee and the Prime Minister, local leaders must bear full responsibility if errors occur, if they provide dishonest data, or if they fail to strictly manage fishing vessels that violate regulations, because the results of this inspection will determine whether the "yellow card" is withdrawn or the risk of being upgraded to a "red card".

Lieutenant General Le Quang Dao, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, also stated that the military forces are maintaining strict patrols and controls at sea to promptly detect and handle violations and warn of the risk of fishing vessels violating foreign waters.

After more than eight years of persistent and tireless efforts, Vietnam's fisheries sector has made significant progress and reforms, from perfecting the legal framework and controlling fishing vessels to tracing the origin of seafood and strictly enforcing the law.

However, efforts to combat IUU fishing still face some shortcomings and limitations, especially in the management and control of fishing vessels that do not meet operating requirements, and in the thorough handling of cases of fishing vessels violating regulations. In addition, there is still a situation where fishing vessels cross boundaries and fish in foreign waters. Therefore, despite four inspections by the EC over the past eight years, Vietnam has still not been able to have the "yellow card" lifted.

From now until the EC inspection team arrives in Vietnam is a "golden period" for the fisheries sector, along with ministries, departments, and localities, to resolutely complete the urgent and top-priority tasks assigned by the Prime Minister, in order to successfully achieve the goal of removing the IUU "yellow card," and developing a modern, responsible, and internationally integrated fisheries sector.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/quyet-tam-go-the-vang-iuu-5080137.html