A raft of measures to deal with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is included in the Government’s freshly issued action programme.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has cut the number of licenses for offshore fishing to 29,552, a 5.6% decline over the 2019-2024 period, to better protect marine resources.

Intensifying mariculture to ensure stable livelihoods for fishermen in territorial waters is believed to be a good solution to the IUU (Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing) problem.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang assigned the Ministry of Public Security to prosecute those arranging Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally exploit seafood in foreign waters.

The inspection delegation will have to report inspection results to the EC’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries before a conclusion on the removal of the “yellow card” warning for VIetnam is issued.

The EC delegation conducted the fourth inspection over the issue in southern Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Binh Dinh provinces from October 10 to 18.

Vietnam has seriously implemented recommendations made by the European Commission (EC) to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

PM Pham Minh Chinh on October 7 chaired a teleconference on the promotion of solutions to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and preparations for the fourth inspection of Vietnam’s related efforts by the European Commission team.

Deputy PM Tran Luu Quang has signed a PM dispatch on implementing urgent and essential tasks and measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and prepare for the fourth inspection trip by the European Commission (EC) team.

The EC delegation, expected to include representatives from the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) and the EC Delegation in Vietnam, will come to Vietnam for the IUU fishing issue from October 10-18.

IUU fishing is considered a threat to marine ecosystems and biodiversity, while also creating negative impacts on the sustainable livelihoods of the coastal communities as well as the global economy and food security in the long term.

Without stronger actions to lift the “yellow card” warning, Vietnam may face the “red card” from the European Commission, which means it will be banned from exporting seafood to Europe, Deputy PM Tran Luu Quang told a meeting in Hanoi on June 1.