Lifting “yellow card” is a top political task, says Deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung addresses the meeting of the National Steering Committee on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing prevention and control in at the Government Office in Ha Noi on June 21, 2019. Photo: VGP

Dung said the Government and local authorities in Viet Nam have made drastic efforts in implementing recommendations of the European Commission and obtained noticeable outcomes, including improvement of legal framework for the sustainable development of fishery sector.

Now, illegal fishing has been basically ended, the Deputy PM added.

However, Dung pointed out that coordination among 28 coastal provinces and cities in realizing the recommendations has not been effective.

He urged all the local authorities to continue greater efforts to remove IUU by fruitful realization of the the Law on Fisheries and the Prime Minister’s regulations to ensure sustainable development of the fishery sector.

“If we are not able to have the yellow card or even red card lifted, our seafood industry will face critical losses, thus affecting the economy and local livelihood”, Dung stressed.

Dung also highlighted the importance of information dissemination as one of the key solutions to improve public awareness on IUU prevention.

At the meeting. Photo: VGP

The EC’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries delegation will visit Viet Nam in October to inspect the country’s implementation of its recommendations related to the fight against IUU fishing.

Earlier on October 23, 2017, the EC issued a "yellow card" warning to Viet Nam, after the country failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fight against IUU fishing.

Countries that fail to meet EC standards are given a "yellow card", followed by a "green card" if the problems are resolved, or a "red card" if they are not. A red card can lead to a trade ban on fishery products.

In response, the Prime Minister of Viet Nam decided to establish the National Steering Committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung while Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong is one of several deputy chairmen.

The Committee is expected to help the Government chief deal with important and inter-sectoral issues related to IUU fishing.

It is also responsible for urging ministries, sectors and localities to step up IUU fishing prevention to meet international practices and agreements which Viet Nam has signed./.

By Quang Minh