Vietnam launches action plan to combat illegal fishing

Vietnam has launched an action plan to address recommendations from the European Commission regarding illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Signed by Vice Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung, the plan aims to resolve existing deficiencies and work toward lifting the European Commission’s ‘yellow card’ warning by 2026.

The strategy focuses on creating a transparent and sustainable fishing sector through several key mandates. This includes updating 100% of registered fishing vessel data in the National Fisheries Database (VNFishbase) and ensuring all required vessels are equipped with Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). Authorities will monitor equipment status during port entries and exits, with strict protocols for managing signal losses or unauthorized boundary crossings.

Additionally, the plan requires all vessel movements for ships six meters or longer to be recorded in the electronic traceability system (eCDT). Certificates of origin will be withheld for vessels with invalid or missing data. To protect European markets, companies exporting high-risk species like tuna and swordfish will undergo risk-based inspections to verify production volumes and traceability documentation.