Vietnamese seafood enterprises effort to remove the yellow card

After more than four months, the recommendations of the Working Group on Directorate-General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated exploitation (IUU), Vietnam's export seafood has been withdrawn officially the yellow card by the European Union. 

Seafood exports to the EU have been monitored for the yellow cards. Photo: Thu Hoa.

Not unexpected

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), on October 23rd, 2017, the European Union (EU) drew a gold card for Vietnamese seafood due to violations of the IUU rules. According to the seafood exporters, the withdrawal of the yellow card by the EU was not unexpected, because Directorate-General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG-MARE) of the EU issued 5 recommendations to require Vietnam make goods, but Vietnam could not implement immediately, and it would need a roadmap and time.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Sac, Vice Chairman of VASEP, now, in the total export turnover of Vietnam, seafood was annually US$ 1.9-2.2 billion, the EU and the US, each market accounted for 16 -17% with a value of US$ 350-400 million/year, so the receipt of yellow cards of the EU could cause many bad impacts that affected directly the export of seafood to the EU, and would soon affect the US market and other potential markets.

The enterprises worried that the EU withdrew the yellow card for Vietnam at the end of the year – the peak period of exporting goods that would impact strongly on the export turnover of this item. Because, certainly, seafood exports into the EU would decrease, the EU customers would be very afraid of the penalty under the IUU regulations, so they would reduce or stop purchasing the goods of the countries having the yellow card. Other markets might apply more stringent control regulations for the countries received the yellow card from the EU. Furthermore, the cost of the enterprises would be increased, because 100% of the seafood containers exported to the EU kept to check the origin would take a long time, even 3-4 weeks per container, only fee of "origin" inspection was about £ 500 per container, not to mention the port's charge and business corollary of partners. Loss of seafood exports to the EU during the period of the yellow card, the average could be up to 10,000 euros per container.

Efforts to delete the yellow card

According to the EU regulations, after the warning of yellow card, Vietnam will have 6 months to repair deficiencies, if Vietnam does not improve the EU assessment during 6 months, it will be changed the warning t of red card, it means that Vietnam will be prohibited the export of seafood products to the EU. Therefore, the relevant units are continuing efforts to not be changed to the red card and removed the yellow card quickly, returned to the green card.

According to VASEP leaders, the unit has been promoting cooperation with functional units urgently to overcome the recommendations of the EU jointly. On October 24th, 2017, VASEP and the High Command of Vietnam Coast Guard signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure a commitment to combat IUU mining, simultaneously, to show determination with the Government and the related authorities and units to build sustainable fisheries of Vietnam and effective management. Accordingly, two sides agreed to discuss and coordinate the implementation of the National Action Program of the Government against the IUU exploitation and to ensure that programs, commitments or plans of each other related to IUU would be supported, coordinated to get the best results. Accordingly, the Vietnam Coast Guard and VASEP would cooperate with the following contents: Support, exchange of information; Propaganda and fight against illegal exploitation; Other cooperative activities. The two sides would consider and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the local Fisheries Administration to set up and operate a fisheries data centre for tracing the IUU origin.

In addition, according to Mr. Vu Van Tam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, at the fourth session of the 14th National Assembly, the delegates would consider approving the draft of revised Fisheries Law. This would be one of the basic elements for Vietnam to implement its commitments to combat IUU exploitation, because the EU recommendations on IUU fishing have been incorporated into the revised Fisheries Law, such as: The survey program of fishery benefit would be conducted every five years, regulation of the IUU, the establishment of fisheries control departments in 28 provinces and cities.

In anticipation of the impacts of seafood export, more than 70 seafood enterprises have signed the commitment to work together in the anti- IUU fishing program. Accordingly, the enterprises commit to purchase only seafood materials from lawfully exploited fishing vessels with clear origin and only import the sea products from lawful sources; To determine not to buy the seafood from illegal fishing vessels, exploitation without permit, dairy and report according to regulations, exploitation with prohibited fishing equipment; Say no to the rare species of seafood, catching products with smaller size than prescribed...

According to Colonel Tran Van Nam, Head of the Department of Profession and Legal Affairs (High Command of Vietnam Coast Guard): due to various reasons, the situation of Vietnamese fishing vessels in violation of foreign fishing areas to catching fishes illegally has remained complicated and tended not to reduce, that caused difficulties for the management, impact the exploitation and import and export of legal seafood of the domestic enterprises. According to figures of the Vietnam Coast Guard, from 2015 up to now, over 1,500 fishing vessels and over 7,300 Vietnamese fishermen have been expelled and arrested by the foreign forces.