Decree No. 37/2024/ND-CP on on amendments to some Articles of the Government's Decree No. 26/2019/ND-CP dated March 08, 2019 on guidelines for implementation of the Law on Fisheries.

This amending Decree establishes specific regulations for the management of fishing activities, including provisions explicitly referencing Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, the Agreement on Port State Measures, and the handling of CITES-listed aquatic species. It introduces rigorous traceability requirements for aquatic resources, mandating that all fishing vessels exceeding 15 meters operate functional Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) to prevent territorial violations and ensure data integrity for electronic catch reporting.
Regarding Port State Measures, the Decree clarifies the authorities of fishing port management in inspecting foreign vessels and verifying the origin of imported aquatic products. It strengthens the "Catch Certificate" and "Statement of Catch" protocols to ensure that no product derived from IUU fishing enters the supply chain. Specific provisions are introduced for the management of endangered, precious, and rare aquatic species, aligning domestic controls with international biological standards by strictly regulating the exploitation, rescue, and internal trade of Group I and Group II species.
In the aquaculture sector, the Decree streamlines the licensing for mariculture, particularly for foreign investors, while imposing strict environmental and biosecurity standards. It mandates minimum release requirements for breed producers to support stock replenishment and establishes a systematic inspection regime for aquafeed and veterinary drugs. Furthermore, it provides a legal basis for "recreational fishing" and "large-scale fishery centers," ensuring that infrastructure development supports both economic growth and the sustainable conservation of marine protected areas (MPAs) through clearly defined ecological zones.