EU postpones IUU inspection in Vietnam until late 2025
The European Commission (EC) was originally scheduled to conduct its fifth inspection on Vietnam’s fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in March 2025. The visit was later pushed to September, and most recently, the EC has informed that the inspection will now be conducted at the end of 2025.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the EC’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG-MARE) has requested Vietnam to submit a detailed progress report on IUU-related measures by September 15, 2025. Should the report indicate substantial improvements, the fifth inspection will proceed as planned later this year.
More time granted due to unsatisfactory progress
In a report submitted to the Prime Minister, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien confirmed that the delay stems from the EC’s assessment during a virtual meeting in January 2025, which found Vietnam’s efforts to implement prior recommendations still below expectations. The EC has since reiterated the importance of addressing issues such as inadequate vessel monitoring, disconnection of tracking devices (VMS), and illegal fishing in foreign waters.
In response, the ministry has proposed an urgent national action plan, requesting coordination from various government agencies and coastal provinces to tackle these persistent issues. The plan focuses on four priority areas: vessel management, fishing activity control, traceability, and law enforcement.
Tight deadlines and stricter enforcement through August 2025
From May to August 2025, the ministry will implement a series of urgent tasks to meet EC requirements. These include finalizing the identification and verification of all registered vessels using the national population database (VNeID), ensuring seamless integration with the national fisheries database (VNFishbase) and vessel monitoring systems (VMS).
All registered fishing boats must display appropriate registration numbers and markings, while service and aquaculture support vessels must also be formally registered. Vessels failing to comply by December 31, 2024, will be decommissioned in accordance with Circular 06/2024/TT-BNNPTNT. Support will be provided to help affected fishers transition to alternative livelihoods.
Ownership transfers and vessel sales must now be strictly documented. Unregistered transfers will render vessels ineligible for fishing licenses, and notaries who certify such transfers improperly will face legal consequences.
Enhanced monitoring at ports and on imports
Authorities will closely monitor vessel departures, arrivals, and unloading at designated ports, using the eCDT (electronic catch documentation and traceability) system. Only products offloaded at recognized ports will be eligible for sale to licensed buyers, per Decree 38/2024/NĐ-CP.
For imported seafood, Vietnam has committed to fully implementing the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA). Inspection resources will be allocated to verify origin and legality of shipments, and coordination mechanisms will be established with international fisheries organizations. A special focus will be placed on containerized tuna imports and longtail tuna, with a new national control plan already underway.
The Vietnamese government remains determined to meet the EC’s expectations and lift the yellow card warning. But success will depend on decisive coordination, transparency, and the effective enforcement of existing regulations.
VFM
