Vietnam steps up greater illegal fishing eradication efforts: Thai news site
VOV.VN - Thai media outlet Thaipublica.org recently published an article highlighting Vietnamese efforts to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and remove the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood exports, issued in 2017, with its recent issuance of a plan on IUU fishing prevention and control by 2025.
The website wrote that almost five years after the EC’s original warning, the nation has been actively focused on drastic actions which follow the commission’s recommendations and regulations relating to IUU fishing in order to remove the warning as soon as possible.
The country has therefore reviewed and supplemented legal documents and enhancing sanctions in the revised Fisheries Law, documents, and action plans of the Government.
In the last online meeting held between Vietnam and the EC in November, 2021, EC officials appreciated the changes made in terms of legal matters, one of the four key recommendations put forward by the EC to the country to solve the IUU fishing issue.
Furthermore, the nation has applied information technology and digital transformation in terms of traceability aimed at ensuring digitalisation of professional procedures for monitoring and supervising aquatic products. This can take place throughout value chain in a manner suitable with domestic and international consumption demands.
The site, however, noted that the country is facing plenty of difficulties as it seeks to be delisted from the group of “warned countries”. Among them are the monitoring of fishing vessels over recent years caused by the resurgence of COVID-19, coupled with the number of fishing vessels remaining high.
The article concludes by saying Vietnam should therefore try to learn from the experience of its neighbour, Thailand, which had a “yellow card” removed in 2019 after four years.
The piece noted that the Vietnamese side can carry out reform in the legal system, invest in the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) system, and further co-operate with Regional Fisheries Management Organisations and neighbouring countries.