Vietnamese Tuna Fishers Brace For Commission’s Inspections

Vietnam provincial government authorities recently inspected activities at the fishing ports of Tien Chau and Dan Phuoc in Phu Yen Province, both known for tuna fishing operations. The national government has been imposing strict restrictions on tuna fishermen to cut down IUU fishing ahead of the European Commission’s inspection scheduled for this month. In an attempt to get the EU yellow card withdrawn.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Nguyen Thien Van, made visits to both ports last week and stressed various factors to ensure compliance with EU standards. It included the need for better guidance for tuna and other seafood fishers to raise their awareness of compliance in fishing activities, installing onboard monitoring equipment, and ensuring they have a license to fish. The EU imposed a yellow card on the Asian nation’s tuna and other fisheries in 2017, mainly due to its inefficiency in combating IUU fishing.