EC postpones IUU "yellow card" inspection schedule to September

The EC has changed the schedule of its visit to Vietnam to inspect the fight against IUU fishing. Accordingly, the EC will move the visit to Vietnam to around September or October 2024, instead of May.

During the 4th inspection by the EC Inspection Team in October 2023, the results of implementing anti-IUU fishing work showed progress compared to before.

On the sidelines of the IUU Plan Implementation Meeting organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on May 21, speaking to the press, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung - Director of the Fisheries Surveillance Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said that the EC has changed the schedule of its visit to Vietnam to inspect the work of combating IUU fishing.

Accordingly, the EC has postponed its visit to Vietnam to around September or October this year, instead of May as planned at the beginning of the year. While the EC is yet to come to inspect, Vietnam will continue to thoroughly and resolutely implement solutions to be able to remove the “yellow card”.

"One of the reasons your side postponed the inspection deadline and removed the IUU "yellow card" is because Vietnam has just issued Decree No. 37/2024/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 26/2019/ND-CP dated March 8, 2019 detailing a number of articles and measures to implement the Fisheries Law and Decree No. 38/2024/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 42/2019/ND-CP dated May 16, 2019 regulating administrative sanctions in the fisheries sector. The EC wants to consider how Vietnam implements the law enforcement of these two Decrees," Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung shared.

Mr. Phung Duc Tien - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said that in order to prepare for the 5th EC inspection delegation and strive to remove the IUU "yellow card" in 2024, functional units need to closely follow the 4 groups of recommendations that the EC has made for Vietnam.

Functional units need to complete legal documents; issue specific action plans; strengthen inspection and control of fishing fleets more closely, ensuring 100% of vessels are equipped with voyage monitoring devices; vessels that do not meet the requirements will not be allowed to leave port or go into fishing; issue electronic seafood traceability plans, ensure there is no mixing of records or fraud in certifying origin, and increase the rate of administrative sanctions for violations.
According to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the 4th inspection by the EC Inspection Team in October 2023, the results of the implementation of anti-IUU fishing work have improved compared to before, but the existing problems and limitations have not been completely resolved, so the "yellow card" warning has not been removed. Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung said that from now until around September or October 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to advise the government to chair a meeting and inspect anti-IUU fishing work in localities.

Removing the IUU "yellow card" is an important and urgent task because the EU market is in the Top 5 largest export markets of Vietnamese seafood, after the United States, China and before Japan and South Korea. As a standing member of the National Steering Committee on Combating IUU Fishing, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has advised the Secretariat to issue Directive 32 and advised the Government to issue Resolution 52 on strengthening the Party's leadership as well as programs and action plans to combat IUU fishing. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also developed a Resolution to issue programs and plans to implement Directive 32 of the Secretariat and Resolution 52 of the Government.

Source: https://thoibaonganhang.vn/ec-doi-lich-kiem-tra-the-vang-iuu-sang-thang-9-151881.html