After 2 years of EU’s warning of yellow card for Vietnam's caught marine products, Vietnam's marine product export to EU market has been remarkably affected, down 6.5% to nearly 390 million USD in 2018 and continued to level off in the first 8 months of 2019 with 251 million USD. From the second position in Vietnam's seafood import markets, after the yellow card, the EU has dropped to fifth and the proportion of the market has decreased from 18% to 13%.
Recognizing the negative impacts of the IUU yellow card on Vietnam's seafood exports to the EU market and the prestige of Vietnamese seafood products on the world market, identifying the need for sustainable development of the seafood industry, on September 25, 2017, the VASEP Marine Product Committee (VMPC) and Vietnam marine product processing and export enterprises organized the conference " Marine product Enterprises’ Commitment to Combating IUU Fishing". At the conference, the IUU Executive Board was launched, announcing commitments to combating IUU fishing with participation of 62 marine product enterprises and the program's action plan was approved.
After 2 years of persistence with the goal of removing the yellow card and for sustainable development of Vietnam's fisheries, Vietnamese seafood enterprises have been very active in the program's activities: simultaneously hung the board of commitments to combating IUU fishing (in bilingual English-Vietnamese) at the company gates or doors of processing plants, purchase raw materials sourced from legal fishing vessels with clear traceability and only import legally caught seafood, complies with the provisions of the US, EU and Vietnam to combat IUU fishing, participate in seminars, training, propaganda and communication on IUU fishing.
VMPC, VASEP’s IUU Steering Board and enterprises have actively cooperated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Directorate of Fisheries, relevant agencies and localities to implement the recommendations of the EU, reflecting the most in joining, proposing, commenting on amendmemd and completion of the legal framework such as the new Fisheries Law, the Decree guiding the Fisheries Law, the Circular 36/2018/TT-BNNPTNT amending the Circular 26/2016/TT-BNNPTNT, Circular 21/2018/TT-BNNPTNT amending Circular 26, Circular 02/2018/TT-BNNPTNT and Circular 36/2018/TT-BNNPTNT related to catch statement (SC) and catch certification (CC) of wild-caught seafood products, quarantine of imported seafood ... The Circular announcing the list of ports assigned to make SC for wild-caught seafood raw materials ...
The Association sent documents to the Prime Minister, Chairman of the National Assembly, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development reporting and proposing the contents of actions to combat IUU fishing, recomending and proposing for Action Plan to remove IUU yellow card.
Also, VASEP has coordinated and cooperated closely with the parties such as the Coast Guard Command, with relevant ministries and international organizations in the communication and training activities on IUU combating for enterprises and fishermen. In particular, VASEP always maintains a good cooperative relationship with the EC to report and share information about Vietnam's efforts in combating IUU fishing.
In addition to organizing conferences, seminars, training, meetings to communicate and propagandize about Vietnam’s efforts to combat IUU fishing, setting a colum of combating IUU fishing on website: vasep.com.vn, VASEP has widely published publications in Vietnamese and English on combating IUU fishing to the community of business, fishermen, management agencies, and domestic and foreign stakeholders, including:
- White Book on combating IUU fishing in Vietnam
- Map: “Location of the sustainable supply of Vietnamese marine products and tuna in the commitment to combat IUU fishing”
- Posters to propagate ship owners and fishmen to implement regulations under Fisheries Law 2017
In particular, VASEP has collaborated with D-Fish, VTV and other media agencies to make a video clip to propagate ship owners and fishmen to do obligative activities under Fisheries Law 2017, transmitted by more than 30 media agencies and got nearly 800 shares on Facebook and website.
The main activities of the Program "Marine product Enterprises’ Commitment to Combating IUU Fishing" will be consistently and strongly implemented in coming time: strictly implement the commitments and regulations against IUU fishing, make proposals and recommendations for legal documents, reflect and propose to remove obstacles in exporting seafood to the EU, strengthen cooperation with relevant parties in the marine supply chain and promote international relations, intensify communication on VASEP information channels and mass media.
After 2 years of implementing the program, VASEP and Vietnam marine product enterprises pledge to work closely and continuously with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, state management agencies and fishermen community with the motto of "Say NO to IUU". We will determine on developing sustainable fisheries and maintaining importing markets of Vietnamese seafood products.
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VASEP MARINE PRODUCT COMMITTEE (VMPC)
IUU Task Force of VASEP
Email: combat_iuu@vasep.com.vn
Hotline : +84 243.7715055 (ext:204) và +84.982195872
Website: http://vasep.com.vn/1454/Tin-Tuc/Chong-khai-thac-IUU.htm
http://seafood.vasep.com.vn/747/whybuy/combat-iuu-fishing.htm
Facebook: VASEP_Combat IUU
(searfood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports continued to post positive results in the first eight months of 2026, with total export value reaching US$90 million, up 43% year-on-year. However, exports in August alone stood at US$11 million, down 8%, reflecting uneven market developments. Brazil remained the leading market, while Japan recorded notable growth, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese tilapia products.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth has begun to slow and become more differentiated across markets, while the U.S. and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global Shrimp Forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers increasingly focus on quality, product specifications, supply stability and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In August 2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $1.14 billion, up 6% year on year. Cumulative eight-month exports rose 11.8% to $8.00 billion, though momentum has cooled compared to the 12.8% growth seen through July. China - Hong Kong and ASEAN are offsetting weakness in the U.S, EU and partly Japan. This divergence will likely widen in Q4 as trade tariffs and traceability requirements directly weigh on new orders.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam–Russia relations are entering a new phase of cooperation, with a focus on expanding trade, investment and economic connectivity. Against this backdrop, tuna is emerging as one of the seafood products with significant growth potential in the Russian market. Export data for the first seven months of 2026 show strong growth in Vietnamese tuna exports to Russia. However, turning this momentum into sustainable market share will require businesses to address challenges related to logistics, payment and supply competition.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese tilapia is moving into a higher-value segment as brackish-water farmed fish from the Mekong Delta is now being processed for sashimi and exported regularly to Japan.
(seafoo.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau Province is stepping up efforts to protect aquatic resources and promote transparent and sustainable fisheries, joining the country’s efforts to have the European Commission (EC) remove its “yellow card” warning for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam has strengthened its position in China’s massive seafood market, becoming the largest lobster supplier while maintaining a dominant share of the country’s imported pangasius.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026 was more than just a larger exhibition space. Through B2B meetings, booth discussions, production-chain visits and post-show feedback, businesses and buyers found something more concrete: suitable suppliers, processing capabilities, technology solutions, new markets and a foundation for building long-term trust and partnerships.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States declined significantly in the first seven months of 2026. Cumulative export value reached US$18 million, down 42% from the same period in 2025. In July alone, exports amounted to just US$2 million, plunging 70%, indicating a clear slowdown in import demand from the US market.
(vasep.com.vn) At the seminar “Global Seafood Markets and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities and Directions for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Fisheries Sector,” held as part of VIETFISH 2026, Ms. Shirlene Maria Anthonysamy, Fisheries Officer (Markets) and GLOBEFISH Coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presented initiatives aimed at promoting youth participation in fisheries and aquaculture.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn