Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung has signed Prime Ministerial Decision No. 1516/QD-TTg dated August 10, 2026, approving an action plan for addressing recommendations made by the European Commission (EC) following its fifth inspection on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Vietnam.
The plan aims to fully address shortcomings identified by the EC, strengthen fisheries management, prevent and ultimately eliminate IUU fishing, and prepare sufficient records, data and enforcement evidence to work with the EC, with the goal of having the “yellow card” lifted in 2026.
Under the plan, 100% of registered fishing vessels must have complete, accurate and timely information updated on the national fisheries database (VNFishbase), including ownership, location, operational status and legal status.
All vessels required to install vessel monitoring systems (VMS) must have their equipment checked when entering or leaving ports. Any loss of connection, boundary violations or interference with monitoring devices must be detected, verified and handled within prescribed timeframes.
In addition, 100% of fishing vessel trips involving vessels of at least 6m in length must be recorded on the electronic catch documentation and traceability system (eCDT). Catch certificates will not be issued for seafood from vessels whose data on the system is missing or invalid.
The plan also requires all exporters of high-risk species to Europe to undergo risk-based inspections to resolve discrepancies in raw materials and traceability records.
