Thanh Hoa Strives to Lift IUU “Yellow Card”

	Ho Chi Minh City Records No IUU Fishing Vessel Violations
	Lifting EC’s “Yellow Card”: Reviewing Fishing Fleets, Digitizing Data, and Handling Violations

Cao Van Cuong, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, along with representatives of provincial departments, sectors, functional forces, and coastal localities, received and worked with the delegation.

Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee Cao Van Cuong receives and works with the delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. (Photo: Thanh Hoa Newspaper)

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, Thanh Hoa has made significant progress in IUU prevention. The province currently has 6,243 fishing vessels, all of which have completed registration, inspection, vessel marking, and numbering, and have been entered into the national fisheries database Vnfishbase. All 1,014 offshore vessels have been equipped with vessel monitoring systems (VMS), achieving a 100% installation rate.

The department reported that no Thanh Hoa fishing vessels have been caught violating or detained for illegal fishing in foreign waters. The rate of inspection and issuance of technical safety certificates ranges from 96.4% to 98.7%.

Since the beginning of 2025, the province’s total seafood catch has reached over 117,515 tons, fulfilling 83.9% of the annual plan. Enforcement activities have also been strengthened from early 2025 to November 5, 2025, 217 violations have been handled, with total fines exceeding VND 2.91 billion. All sanctioned vessels have been updated into the provincial database.

Thanh Hoa currently has four designated fishing ports, namely Hoa Loc, Lach Hoi, Lang Bang, and Hai Chau, of which three ports have been certified as eligible for seafood origin traceability verification and certification.

However, the report also highlighted remaining shortcomings. The province still has 81 fishing vessels unqualified for operation, and cases of vessels losing VMS connection beyond the permitted duration continue to occur. The fisheries infrastructure remains incomplete and inconsistent, falling short of EC recommendations.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman Cao Van Cuong affirmed that Thanh Hoa has mobilized the entire political system to participate in combating IUU fishing. He requested the Department of Agriculture and Environment to establish a special task force to resolve all pending cases related to VMS disconnections by November 15, 2025.

He also proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment develop new software to upgrade the vessel monitoring infrastructure, ensuring effective coordination between border guards, police, and agricultural authorities.

In conclusion, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien commended Thanh Hoa for its efforts and notable improvements. However, he emphasized that several aspects still do not fully meet the EC’s recommendations.

The Deputy Minister requested the province to tightly control the fishing fleet, ensuring that all vessels possess valid licenses and have their VMS devices operating consistently. He also urged the strict implementation of verification and certification procedures for seafood origin at ports.

Most importantly, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien instructed the province to prepare complete documentation and evidence for the upcoming European Commission inspection, stressing that this is a crucial and ongoing political mission demonstrating Vietnam’s determination to lift the IUU “yellow card.”

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