The EC officials will focus on four matters, namely regulatory framework, management of fishing ships, traceability of seafood products from point-of-catch to point-of-sale, and law enforcement and penalties for violations, if any, Hung noted.
He further said that although Vietnam has made positive steps forward in fighting IUU fishing, challenges remain hampering the progress. There have been insufficient efforts among many fishermen in keeping records of their fishing trips through catch log-books. Plus, there is a lack of funding to renovate fishing ports in poor conditions and provide them with necessary equipment and supervising personnel.
The National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention will convene a meeting to urgently address the issues, he said.
The EC emphasises that the first thing Vietnam must do to remove the “yellow card” warning is to end Vietnamese fishing vessels encroaching foreign waters, he stated.
