An inspection team from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries will visit Vietnam from November 5 – 14 to conduct the second review of Vietnam’s implementation of recommendations regarding illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, according to a Vietnamese official.

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Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Tran Dinh Luan said the inspectors will work with Ho Chi Minh City and several provinces from November 5, arrive in Hanoi on November 9, and hold working sessions with the Directorate of Fisheries from November 11-13.

On November 14, they will report the outcomes of their inspections to Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, who is also head of the National Steering Committee on IUU fishing.

So far, 28 coastal cities and provinces have prepared agenda for working sessions with the team.

Since the EC issued “yellow card” warning to Vietnam two years ago, the country has fine-tuned the Law on Fisheries 2017, two decrees and one decision of the Prime Minister, and eight circulars guiding the enforcement of the Law on Fisheries by the MARD.

Over 31,500 fishing vessels have been experimentally equipped with journey monitor systems.

Since 2018, the MARD has sent about 20 inspection teams to localities to work and guide them how to fight IUU fishing.

The Mekong Delta provinces of Binh Thuan, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ca Mau and Kien Giang have signed a cooperation agreement in a bid to have the EC’s warning lifted.

Up to 27 out of the 28 coastal provinces have established offices to control fishing in 60 ports and launched an initiative on preventing IUU fishing in ASEAN for the 2020 – 2025 period, as well as supported the ASEAN’s Initiative on the establishment of IUU fishing combat network funded by the European Union.

Authorities have also worked with six countries to verify the origins of aquatic products exported to the EU.

The list of violating fishing vessels and owners has been announced on the mass media on a weekly basis, with fines amounting to nearly 7 billion VND (304,000 USD).