Vietnam has carried out comprehensive measures as recommended by the European Commission to remove a “yellow card” warning from the commission on Vietnamese seafood.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Directorate of Fisheries, a national steering board on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing prevention and control was established to facilitate direction from central- to local-level authorities. The move has resulted in a better control of local fishing vessels while facilitating the traceability of seafood products. As suggested by the European Commission, Vietnam has worked to complete the revision of the legal framework to ensure compliance with international and regional rules applied to the conservation and management of fisheries resources. Meanwhile, the Fisheries Law lays important foundation for the effective law enforcement at sea. Regarding international cooperation, Vietnam has boosted collaboration with regional countries, and set up hot lines to settle sea-related issues.-VNA