The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’s Directorate of Fisheries held a press conference in Hanoi on October 25 regarding the European Union (EU)’s issuance of yellow card warning to Vietnam over its fisheries exploitation. 

Accordingly, a delegation of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries arrived in Vietnam from May 13-19 to inspect the country’s compliance with the EU’s regulations on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

As a result, the delegation asked Vietnam to fulfil five recommendations before September 30, including completing institutions, managing fishing vessels, refining the system of monitoring fishing vessels at sea and ports, certifying origin of fisheries materials, and preventing and ending illegal fishing at overseas waters. 

Over the past time, the EC side said Vietnam is yet to fully fulfil the above recommendations so that the EU decided to hand yellow card warning to the country on October 23. 

Only fisheries tapped at sea are subject to the yellow card valid from October 23, 2017 – April 23, 2018. 

In the near future, the MARD will urge the Prime Minister to adopt a national action plan to prevent, mitigate and end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing until 2025, establish an inter-sectoral working group to direct work in response to the warning, and promptly complete procedures to join the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Agreement on Port State Measures. 

After the revised Law on Fisheries is adopted by the National Assembly, sub-law documents will be issued and take into effect to create a legal framework for fisheries management as requested by the EU. 

According to the Directorate of Fisheries, the EU issued red card to Cambodia, Comoros, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, handed yellow card to Kiribati, Liberia, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu and Vietnam. 

Almost countries and territories have their yellow card withdrawn within one – two years. 

Last year, Vietnam earned 1.219 billion USD from exporting aquatic products to the EU, 357.8 million USD of which was from seafood shipments. The figure hit 1.047 billion USD in the first nine months this year.-VNA