Accelerating efforts to lift the EU’s ‘yellow card’ and move toward sustainable fisheries

Fundamental solutions needed to meet EC requirements fully

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien reported that, as of the 16th session on October 7, Vietnam had 80,884 fishing vessels nationwide, with 1,623 newly licensed. To date, 27,990 out of 28,225 vessels (99.16%) have been equipped with Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS).

Law enforcement forces have strengthened patrols and strictly handled IUU violations such as loss of VMS connection, boundary crossing, and incursions into foreign waters. From 2024 to October 13, 2025, authorities handled 26 vessels, prosecuted 8, investigated 57, and identified 4 with missing information. In total, 59 cases and 96 defendants were prosecuted, with 29 cases and 67 defendants already tried.

In the coming period, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has proposed that the Prime Minister direct the Ministry of Public Security to review and tighten penalties for IUU violations, especially those involving loss of VMS connection, boundary crossing, and fishing in foreign waters.

The Ministry of National Defense will continue intensive patrols in overlapping maritime zones, prevent new violations, and trace vessels anchored illegally at river mouths, estuaries, beaches, and islands. Vessels failing to meet operational conditions will not be allowed to depart, and violators will face strict sanctions.

Localities are required to review and promptly license eligible fishing vessels, strictly control those ineligible, and conclude all pending cases related to VMS violations, boundary crossings, and foreign incursions.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to urgently complete and submit to the Prime Minister a high-priority action plan to address the European Commission’s (EC) “Yellow Card” warning and prepare for the EC’s fifth inspection mission. The plan must serve as a practical management tool, clearly defining tasks, timelines, deliverables, responsible agencies, and individuals, “identifying the most fundamental solutions to satisfy EC recommendations fully."

Each task must be assigned to specific ministries and agencies, aimed at ensuring sustainable fisheries management and resource protection, with two key objectives: sustainability and international compliance.

Building a National Fisheries Database

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized the need to complete a unified, multipurpose national fisheries database accessible to multiple stakeholders.

State management agencies will use the database for licensing and monitoring; port authorities for vessel entry and exit control; law enforcement at sea for detecting and penalizing violations; and vessel owners and captains for maintaining logbooks and verifying catch origin.

He stressed that catch logs and vessel routes are key elements for automated licensing in the future. Viettel and VNPT must update integration capabilities between vessel registration, licensing, population, and satellite tracking data. Viettel will lead the database software development, while ministries and localities should coordinate and provide technical requirements.

Existing data sources must be integrated and enhanced with modern technology to improve oversight, such as detecting vessels that disable registration numbers or lose VMS signals.

The Deputy Prime Minister urged the early issuance of regulations governing data use, specifying access rights and levels, from captains and vessel owners to port managers and enforcement agencies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will draft the regulations with support from other ministries to ensure uniformity and interoperability.

The system must allow detailed queries on each vessel and report progress periodically to the Prime Minister. Implementation must be gradual but substantive.

“Violations must be pursued to the end”

The Deputy Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of National Defense with coordinating closely with the Fisheries Surveillance Department to draft an operational protocol defining control zones and responsibilities, from inshore to offshore and border areas, and to lead efforts to trace and intercept “ghost ships” or “unregistered vessels”.

The Ministry of Public Security will work with the Ministries of Agriculture and Justice to review obstacles to handling administrative IUU violations, guide local enforcement, and integrate population data into the national fisheries database. As directed by the Prime Minister, communal police must update records of eligible and ineligible vessels to ensure that “unqualified vessels never set sail.”

The Ministry of Justice will review and propose amendments to Decree No. 38/2024/NĐ-CP on administrative penalties in the fisheries sector. Additions will include new violations, higher fines, and broader enforcement powers, allowing commune-level police to issue penalties. Payments will be made via bank transfer.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, will supplement regulations to cover all parties in the value chain, including processors and exporters that breach rules, and grant on-site sanctioning powers to enforcement units at sea.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized the need for maximum penalties and strict enforcement, including vessel confiscation for sovereignty violations or repeated offenses: “There can be no leniency for deliberate violators”. He also underscored the accountability of vessel owners and captains, noting that controlling owners is key to managing the entire fleet.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will coordinate the deployment of satellite and digital technologies to build the national fisheries data system.

Managing fishing ports like airport

Although localities have progressed, the Deputy Prime Minister said effective management tools remain lacking. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment should soon issue temporary criteria for ports eligible for vessel registration and entry, allowing qualified private ports to participate.

The ministry will also develop digital management systems that enable port authorities to electronically register and verify vessel entry and exit, “just like airport procedures.”

Localities must review all state and private fishing ports, announce eligible facilities, and assign vessels to specific ports to prevent random movement. Large ports handling offshore fleets should be prioritized for centralized management.

They must also report enforcement challenges, particularly in administrative penalties, and ensure consistent supervision and accountability at the grassroots level.

Finally, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will direct national media outlets, including the Vietnam News Agency and Vietnam Television, to produce programs highlighting Vietnam’s efforts toward sustainable marine resource management and IUU prevention.

These communications will help raise public awareness and demonstrate that Vietnam is implementing genuine measures to transition fishing practices, develop coastal livelihoods, and modernize port and logistics infrastructure through public–private partnerships, reducing dependence on state funding.