Shrimp processing for export (Source: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters andProducers (VASEP) has proposed urgent measures to tackle the EuropeanCommission’s illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) yellow card inMarch as the EU will assess Vietnam’s efforts to fight IUU fishing in April.
In its recent dispatch sent to the Ministryof Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Directorate of Fisheries(DoF), VASEP suggested the DoF work with the association to chair a conferenceevaluating the implementation of activities to deal with the yellow card tohelp MARD and DOF leaders to solve shortcomings.
The association asked the MARD to allow theparticipation of representatives from its IUU Steering Committee in theministry’s working delegation to the EU and the Republic of Korea to discussthe issue.
It will work with the DoF in translatingrelated reports and legal documents from Vietnamese to English and vice versa,the dispatch wrote.
[Vietnam works to stop illegal fishing]
According to the dispatch, VASEP membershave committed to purchasing and importing seafood from legal fishing vesselswith clear origin and not buying seafood of fishing vessels caught illegally byhanging banners with the commitment in front of their factories.
VASEP suggested the MARD to send a documentto localities to expand communications on the fight.
Vietnam received a “yellow-card” from theEuropean Commission (EC) because of its failure to meet standards over IUUfishing on October 23, 2017.
It has been offered the opportunity to takemeasures to rectify the situation within six months.
To this end, the EC has proposed an actionplan for the country. The "yellow card" is followed by a "greencard" if issues are resolved or a "red card" if they are not. A“red card” can lead to a trade ban on fishery products.-VNA
VNA
