(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Mr. Tran Dinh Luan - Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries in Vietnam said that: Preventing and eventually eliminating illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing is a mandatory task to remove the warning of yellow card by the EC, responsible fisheries development and international integration.

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam needs to implement measures to trace the origin of seafood, determined to implement the recommendations of the European Commission to remove the IUU yellow card.

In order to meet state management and market requirements, the Directorate of Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam) is implementing software and piloting of electronic traceability in seafood supply chain.

The European Commission (EC) has made positive assessment of Vietnam’s fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing following two inspections in the past over three years since EC imposed a “yellow card” on Vietnam’s export of aquatic products to Europe.

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In order to contribute to raising awareness of seafood processing enterprises, fishing vessel owners and the fishing community about the importance and principles of not using child labor, prevention of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), towards building sustainable fisheries, VASEP has cooperated with the Directorate of Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and International Labor Organization in Vietnam (ILO Vietnam) carrying out many propaganda activities.

Removing the European Commission (EC)’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing “yellow card” is not easy and cannot be done overnight, but the Vietnamese business community and associations are still determined to do, not only to meet EU requirements, but also for the sake of sustainable fishery development.

Vice Chairman of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam Rubén Saornil Mínguez recently appreciated efforts by the Vietnamese Government, businesses and fishermen in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing following the European Commission (EC)’s recommendations.

Vietnam has been taking various measures across its provinces in order to fight IUU fishing so that it can have the yellow card that it still holds from the EU removed.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Xuân Cường has urged 28 coastal provinces to promote further actions against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.