Vietnam's Unified Political System Drives to End IUU Fishing
- Published in News from Asia
Eight years after the EC (European Commission) issued its "yellow card" warning over Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, Vietnam's entire political system is executing comprehensive measures with unprecedented resolve. The campaign to remove the IUU yellow card transcends mere commercial calculations; it has become inextricably linked to national prestige, the livelihoods of fishing communities, and the sustainable future of the fisheries sector.
HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 March 2026 - Combating IUU fishing represents a critical and urgent national mission with enduring implications for sustainable fisheries development. This mission constitutes a collective mandate that rests with the entire political system and society, presenting a pivotal opportunity to restructure, modernise, and transform the fisheries sector's sustainable development strategy while ensuring social equity.
Removing the EC's yellow card warning embodies Vietnam's honour, responsibility, and national interest, essential elements for enhancing the reputation and global competitiveness of Vietnamese seafood products. Simultaneously, combating IUU fishing and developing a responsible, internationally integrated fisheries sector stands as a cornerstone of the blue economy agenda, ranking among the Vietnamese Government's highest priorities in recent years.
Institutional Reform in Fisheries Management
Vietnam's commitment manifests through sweeping legislative reforms. Decree 26/2019 established comprehensive traceability requirements, mandating that every kilogram of seafood must carry verifiable proof of legal origin from the moment of harvest until reaching international buyers.
Subsequent decrees (No. 42/2019, 37/2024, 38/2024, 301/2025) have progressively clarified liability, extending sanctions to both vessel owners and captains, substantially increasing penalties for specific violations, and introducing supplementary sanctions and remedial measures to ensure rigorous enforcement. These enhanced penalties strengthen deterrence capabilities against IUU violations.
The amended Fisheries Law 2017, effective January 1, 2026, incorporates crucial provisions including: (i) transferring certain authorities from the National Assembly to the Government/Ministries to ensure responsive IUU enforcement; (ii) delegating authority to establish fishing permit conditions to the Government (Article 50, Clause 2); (iii) expanding regulatory authority over vessel deregistration cases (Article 50, Clause 5); (iv) transferring authority to establish fishing port criteria and the procedures for opening and closing fishing ports to the Minister of Agriculture and Environment (Article 78); and (v) incorporating requirements for export vessels to meet Government-prescribed conditions (Article 66).
Integrated Technology for Vessel Management and Monitoring
Central to implementing the EC inspection team's fourth-round recommendations is the deployment of a comprehensive fishing vessel management and monitoring system. Bolstered by the Politburo's Resolution 57 on scientific-technological breakthroughs, innovation, and national digital transformation, technology has become indispensable to the yellow card removal campaign.
The eCDT system now enables end-to-end data digitisation for monitoring vessel port entries and departures, while the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) tracks all vessels exceeding 15 meters operating offshore.
Fishing vessels may only register for local operations when allocated fishing permit quotas remain available. Registered vessels are comprehensively catalogued in the national fisheries database (VNFishbase), with ownership information verified against the national population database (VNeID), enabling effective management, operational control, and administrative violation processing while ensuring seamless coordination between central and local authorities.
Establishing Traceability Mechanisms for Domestic and Imported Fisheries Products
As of December 31, 2025, Vietnam has declared 86 operational fishing ports, with continued investment in planned ports to enhance vessel monitoring capacity. The nationally deployed eCDT system now manages complete fishing vessel operations while ensuring transparent traceability of harvested aquatic products. System participation among vessels, fishermen, and enterprises continues growing, with mandatory eCDT and electronic logbook implementation scheduled for all operational fishing vessels.
In 2025, the eCDT system recorded 158,885 port departures (an increase of 81,158 vessels, up 104.41% from 2024) and 154,657 port arrivals (up 88,032 vessels, a 132.13% increase from 2024). Certification and confirmation of harvested aquatic product origins now strictly adhere to legal requirements.
Regarding imported harvest traceability: 14 designated seaports have been announced for foreign vessel arrivals, fully implementing PSMA, compliant control measures for imported harvested aquatic materials and container-shipped products. Domestic and imported harvest traceability mechanisms now operate with rigorous oversight, ensuring full compliance with Vietnamese and international legal frameworks. Notably, no violations have been detected in shipments to European markets since the fourth inspection mission (October 2023).
Legal Enforcement and Violation Processing
A unified vessel monitoring system operates consistently from central to local levels, tracking all vessels exceeding 15 meters in offshore waters. By December 31, 2025, all remaining cases of VMS signal loss and unauthorised boundary crossings have been resolved, with continued strict enforcement against emerging violations.
Coastal provincial authorities conduct regular reviews of vessel registration, surveying, and fishing permit issuance to eliminate unregistered, unlicensed, and VMS-deficient vessels and deregistered vessels still operating. These measures have significantly reduced foreign waters violations.
Sanctions against vessels and fishermen violating foreign waters have intensified, producing measurable improvements. In 2025, 20 vessels detained by foreign authorities underwent investigation, with 17 cases (85%) now resolved. Overall detention figures since 2017 show marked reduction, with complete cessation of violations in Pacific island nations. Currently, only six localities report vessel detentions compared to ten previously.
Vietnam maintains an unequivocal zero-tolerance stance toward IUU violations, committing to continued rigorous processing of remaining cases upon receiving complete vessel and captain information from detaining nations.
Analysts suggest the finish line is approaching. "Vietnam has accomplished more in eight years than many nations achieve in decades," observers note. "Yellow card removal would not merely boost GDP, it would demonstrate Vietnam's capacity for ocean governance leadership."
Vietnam presents a transformed reality: bustling ports equipped with digital inspection infrastructure, vessels monitored by satellite tracking systems, and a fishing community actively upholding government mandates.
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