EU Ambassador to Vietnam: Time to remove IUU yellow card

Mr. Julien Guerrier, Ambassador - Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, said that it is time to remove the IUU “yellow card” on illegal fishing for Vietnam. The next inspection will take place in May 2024.

According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, recently, during a working session with the European Union (EU) delegation to Vietnam, Mr. Julien Guerrier, Ambassador - Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, said that it is time to remove the IUU "yellow card" on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing for the Vietnamese seafood industry.

Specifically, the Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam highly appreciated Vietnam's proactive spirit, especially the goal of improving the capacity of the fishing community and modernizing the traditional production industry.

The EU representative said that April 2024 is the peak period for Vietnam to remove the European “yellow card” warning. Therefore, the EU expects the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to have a full report on the progress in meeting European requirements after the working trip and meeting with the European Commission (EC), preparing for the fourth inspection next month.

The EC also made a number of recommendations to Vietnam during the fourth inspection. Accordingly, the Vietnamese agricultural sector needs to ensure that fishing vessel data information in VNFishbase is completely accurate and have a mechanism to monitor and urge localities to update the fisheries database according to regulations. In addition, review the handling process for disconnecting the vessel monitoring device (VMS), and punish all cases of violations of VMS regulations.

Đại sứ EU tại Việt Nam: Đã đến lúc gỡ thẻ vàng IUU

Removing the IUU yellow card both creates livelihoods for fishermen and resolves conflicts of interest in the marine space.

On the Vietnamese side, Mr. Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that in the coming time, localities will actively implement the National Program for Protection and Development of Aquatic Resources until 2030, which has just been approved by the Prime Minister. This program aims to restore and rationally and effectively use aquatic resources and aquatic ecosystems, preserve biodiversity and the value of Vietnam's biological resources.

"Currently, the Ministry has drafted a Plan to implement this program and is preparing to issue it," said Mr. Hoan.

According to Mr. Hoan, to meet the EC's requirements, localities need to strictly implement legal regulations and equip necessary equipment to manage fishing vessels; focus on preparing data for the EC's 4th assessment in May 2024.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requested that Department Directors not be subjective, increase surprise inspections, and not let violations continue to occur before and during the inspection.

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