The Vung Tau Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) represents Vietnam’s proactive step in aligning with global efforts to promote responsible and sustainable fishing practices. Designed to address key challenges in the trawling sector, one of the most pressured areas in the country’s fisheries, the project brings together stakeholders across the seafood value chain to ensure transparency, compliance, and international recognition.
Launched in November 2015, FIP Vung Tau began with 10 founding members, including fish meal and fish oil producers in Ba Ria–Vung Tau and partners from the animal feed industry. By June 2020, it was officially registered with the international Fishery Progress Organization under the title “Field Initiative for Multispecies Trawling” in Ba Ria–Vung Tau.
The initiative involves a comprehensive monitoring system spanning fishing vessels, ports, and processing plants. All participating trawlers must comply with legal fishing regulations and sign a commitment to the FIP’s Responsible Fishing Code. This end-to-end traceability framework ensures that every batch of raw material can be verified as legal, responsible, and compliant with international standards such as MarinTrust.
Such efforts are especially significant as Vietnam’s seafood industry continues to face the European Commission’s yellow card warning. Achieving standards like MarinTrust provides a pathway for the country’s fish meal and fish oil sectors to overcome IUU-related barriers, strengthen credibility, and expand exports to major markets such as the EU and the United States.
FIP Vung Tau has implemented a series of impactful initiatives, including training on the 2017 Fisheries Law, collecting and sharing multi-species fisheries data, and introducing MarinTrust requirements to member enterprises. The project has been officially recognized by MarinTrust as a “Pilot Project for Improving Multi-Species Fisheries” and has been highlighted by the Global FIP Program for its tangible progress and results.
By 2025, participating enterprises are expected to achieve several key international certifications. Some have earned the ASC Feed Standard based on the mass-balance model, while others have joined the MarinTrust Improver Program affirming the transparency and sustainability of their trawling-based raw materials.
According to Nguyen Thanh Loc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Fisheries Association, FIP Vung Tau fully adheres to anti-IUU practices and the FAO’s Code of Responsible Fisheries. It also upholds the protection of endangered aquatic species and ensures social responsibility throughout the industry. “These are solid foundations for Vietnam’s fishmeal processors to qualify for participation in MSC and MarinTrust improvement programs,” he emphasized.
The Vietnam Fisheries Association has praised the project’s initial outcomes, noting that FIP Vung Tau provides valuable momentum for the country’s broader IUU compliance efforts. Its inclusive chain-link model from fishermen to processors reflects the image of a responsible, transparent, and globally integrated Vietnamese fisheries sector.
In the next phase, FIP Vung Tau aims to have two to three factories achieve MarinTrust IP version 3.0 certification while doubling or tripling the volume of raw fish under the program. The initiative will also expand its partnership network, enhance raw material control at key fishing ports, and continue promoting anti-IUU awareness campaigns.
Through these ongoing efforts, FIP Vung Tau is setting the course for sustainable trawling management in line with international best practices strengthening Vietnam’s commitment to responsible fisheries and its standing in the global seafood supply chain.
The Fishery Improvement Project aims to enhance sustainable fisheries in Vietnam, with a particular emphasis on the fish meal business.
