EC yellow card must be removed by end of 2023

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang gives instructions from Hanoi. Photo: Nguyen Hai (screenshot)

Since 2012, 4 out of 11 countries in Southeast Asia have received a “yellow card” from the European Commission (EC). Cambodia was the first country to receive a “yellow card” in November 2012 and after a year the “yellow card” was changed to a “red card,” meaning that seafood products were banned from entering the European Community (EU). In October 2017, Vietnam received a “yellow card” because some fishermen had not stopped illegal fishing.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang shared that this was a meeting to consider and deal with the not-so-new issue of IUU fishing. This situation isEC recommends yellow card penalty6 years ago and the National IUU Steering Committee has met for the 7th time. The EC has also inspected 3 times and most recently in October 2022, the EC continued to issue recommendations. The inspection at the end of May was postponed and postponed to October this year, but that did not mean that the ministries, branches and localities were lax. From this meeting, the ministries, branches and localities must be determined and find solutions to rectify fishing activities in order to remove the yellow card by the end of the year.

Carrying out procedures for registering fishing licenses for fishermen's fishing boats to depart for fishing at Lach Quen port. Photo: Nguyen Hai

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in recent times, despite many efforts, the workIUU fishing managementThere are still some limitations. The situation of Vietnamese fishing vessels going to the waters of countries in the region to fish and being arrested still exists. Since the beginning of 2023, 16 vessels/84 fishermen from Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu and Kien Giang provinces have been arrested and processed by Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia, and the EC has affirmed that it will not lift the "yellow card" warning if this situation does not end.

Nghe An Fisheries Surveillance Force propagates and reminds fishermen to ensure labor safety and procedures when fishing at sea. Photo: Nguyen Hai

In addition, the fishing power of our country's fleet is still large, but the work of law enforcement and punishment of IUU fishing acts in some localities is still weak, irresponsible and unsynchronized; the work of licensing, management and supervision of fishing vessels at ports is still loose; some localities still have acts of brokerage and collusion to bring fishing vessels to illegally exploit in foreign waters, but the results of investigation and handling are still limited...

Comrade Nguyen Van De - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the IUU Steering Committee of Nghe An province chaired the conference at Nghe An bridge. Photo: Nguyen Hai

At the meeting, representatives of ministries and localities with fishing vessels violating the law spoke about the results of recent inspections. In addition to propaganda and reminders, some ministries and localities have inspected, punished and prosecuted some serious violators, but the phenomenon of illegal fishing has not yet ended; proposed to soon issue a policy to change jobs for fishermen after reducing the strength of the fishing fleet...

Fisheries control forces towed a fishing boat back to shore for administrative punishment. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Through presenting a number of situations that functional forces have inspected and handled at sea, ministries, branches and localities have also proposed a number of solutions such as strengthening coordination between functional forces and localities at sea to both promptly handle fishing vessels that violate regulations and protect our fishing vessels from reasonable fishing, and chase away fishing vessels from other countries that violate regulations; promptly consider amending the Decree on support policies for building offshore vessels, going offshore and sticking to the sea; increasing the level of penalties...

In fact, in some bordering and undemarcated sea areas, not only Vietnamese fishing vessels but also fishing vessels from neighboring countries come to fish, so in order to have a basis to chase away or punish violating fishing vessels, it is necessary to improve the quality of VMS equipment as well as the capacity of the fishing vessel monitoring system so that the authorities at sea can punish violating fishing vessels; at the same time, protect fishermen fishing legally...

(Excerpt from the speech of the representative of the People's Committee of Ca Mau province)

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development - Standing agency of the National IUU Steering Committee answers some issues proposed by ministries and localities. Photo: Nguyen Hai (screenshot)

Based on the comments, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang concluded by emphasizing the role of removing the EC yellow card for seafood and Vietnam's position in the international arena. Frankly pointing out the limitations of IUU fishing management, the Deputy Prime Minister requested ministries, branches and localities to make efforts to eliminate fishing vessels violating the law to remove the yellow card and avoid receiving a red card. Strive with other solutions to remove the yellow card by the end of 2023 to bring Vietnamese seafood back to the EC and, more importantly, to other major markets such as Japan, the US, etc.

Localities must be resolute, handle it strongly and have a deterrent effect so that each ship owner and fisherman must consider when fishing. Agree with the recommendations of some ministries and localities to bring some violations to trial as examples; at the same time, from now until October, inspection teams will be established for localities; ministries and localities will strengthen coordination and have a specific roadmap and specific solutions; improve the quality of monitoring equipment through the fishing vessel system and VMS equipment on fishing vessels; pay attention to ensuring the regime and equipment for functional forces and law enforcement at sea; prepare well the conditions to welcome the EC delegation for inspection.

(Excerpt from the conclusion of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang)