HANOI (11/11/2025): In a sign of escalating urgency, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính chaired a high-level, emergency meeting this evening with the National Steering Committee on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The meeting was convened to review the country's lack of progress and "promote decisive solutions" to remove a "yellow card" warning issued by the European Commission (EC) eight years ago.
Failure to resolve the issues could trigger a "red card," a catastrophic move that would result in a complete trade ban on all Vietnamese seafood exports to the European Union, a multi-billion dollar market.
The High-Stakes "Yellow Card"
The EC first issued its "yellow card" warning to Vietnam in October 2017. The warning serves as a formal notice that a country's efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing are insufficient.
For eight years, Vietnam has been grappling with the EC's demands, which include:
Stopping Vietnamese vessels from illegally fishing in the waters of other nations.
Implementing a robust Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for its entire ocean-going fishing fleet.
Enforcing stricter port controls to ensure the traceability of all seafood products.
Strengthening the legal framework and imposing stricter penalties on violators.
Despite numerous government directives, the EC's recent inspections have reportedly shown that while legal frameworks are in place, enforcement on the ground particularly at the provincial level remains weak. The continued non-compliance has put the nation on the brink of severe economic consequences.
Prime Minister Demands "Decisive" Action
Tonight's meeting, led by the Prime Minister himself, signifies that patience at the highest level of government has worn thin. It shifts the issue from a purely agricultural or trade problem to one of national-level importance.
Sources familiar with the meeting said the Prime Minister called for an end to "the 'hot and cold' approach" and demanded concrete, measurable results. The focus of the review was reportedly on the failures of specific coastal provinces and agencies to control their fishing fleets.
The "decisive solutions" discussed are believed to include:
Zero Tolerance for Violations: A nationwide crackdown on vessels fishing without licenses, proper VMS equipment, or in foreign waters.
Accountability for Officials: Holding local and provincial leaders personally responsible for any violations that occur under their jurisdiction.
Accelerated VMS Implementation: A final push to ensure 100% of the required fleet is monitored, with no exceptions.
Economic Catastrophe Looms
The EU is one of Vietnam's top three seafood export markets, with annual sales valued at billions of dollars, primarily in shrimp, tuna, and pangasius.
A "red card" would be economically devastating. It would not only close off the entire 27-nation bloc but also severely damage Vietnam's reputation, likely leading to stricter scrutiny and potential rejections from other key markets like the United States and Japan.
Tonight's high-level intervention by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính is seen as a final, top-down effort to mobilize the entire political system to resolve the crisis before the European Commission's patience runs out completely.