Fishing vessels violating foreign waters significantly impact overall efforts to lift the EC’s “yellow card” on Vietnam’s seafood industry. In addition to strictly monitoring vessels entering and leaving ports, authorities also spend time before each fishing trip, guiding fishermen on the regulations they must follow while at sea. At fishing ports in Quy Nhon in Binh Dinh province and Sa Huynh in Quang Ngai province, authorities also strictly control the entry and exit of vessels. Fishermen must notify port management an hour before docking, facilitating the tracking of the vessel’s fishing journey. Once all requirements are met, port staff board the vessel to supervise the unloading of its catch. At designated fishing ports in the central region, all fishing vessels of over 15-meter length are monitored, and the origin of their catch is traced as they unload. This stringent, coordinated process has helped raise fishermen’s awareness about complying with regulations against IUU fishing. Recognising this as a crucial time in having the “yellow card” lifted, localities in the central region are vigorously implementing urgent measures to fight IUU fishing. They are particularly focused on addressing the shortcomings identified by the EC’s inspection team during its recent audit./.