Viet Nam Bolsters its Efforts on Combatting IUU Fishing

On 12 November 2024, Viet Nam’s Ministry of National Defense’s Steering Committee for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Prevention and Control conducted a conference to explore urgent actions in accordance with the Prime Minister’s directions to combat IUU fishing.

At the conference, participants discussed specific measures and identified areas for improvement in IUU fishing prevention and control. The conference urged authorities to enhance inspections and monitoring of fishing vessels departing from ports, ensuring that vessels failing to meet requirements are prohibited from leaving. The Coast Guard, Navy, and Border Guard units have been instructed to collaborate closely with local authorities to identify and address non-compliant vessels. These forces are also tasked with increasing patrols in seas, islands, river mouths, inlets, and flats while adapting their patrol strategies as necessary. Further, the units will continue investigating and addressing violations related to IUU fishing, including unauthorized exploitation in foreign waters, falsification of export documents, and illegal disconnection of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) .

Viet Nam has been focusing on initiatives to implement measures to lift the European Commission’s yellow card warning and ensuring sustainable development of the fisheries sector. A yellow card is a warning issued by the European Commission to trading partners that are not taking adequate action to address IUU fishing.

The authorities in Viet Nam continue to enforce the terms of Resolution No. 04/2024/NQ-HDTP issued on 12 June 2024 by the Supreme People’s Court. The Resolution provides guidance on applying some provisions of the Penal Code on criminal prosecution for acts related to the illegal exploitation, purchase, sale, and transportation of aquatic products.

To combat IUU fishing, Viet Nam has set a deadline of 20 November 2024 for all coastal municipalities to fully address fishing vessels that are not registered, inspected, or licensed. Authorities in Viet Nam have affirmed that they will take strict action against fishing vessels that fail to maintain operation, turn off their monitoring devices while operating at sea, or ignore authorized fishing boundaries.

Viet Nam has been a party to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) since its accession in 2019. Viet Nam’s recent initiatives aim to enhance monitoring, surveillance, and control measures, as well as strengthen the country’s legal capacity to enforce the PSMA.