Tiếng Việt 
Since 2014, the Vietnam Yellowfin Tuna Fishery Improvement Project (Vietnam Yellowfin Tuna FIP) has been working to improve the sustainability and management of Vietnam’s yellowfin tuna fishery. The project has now reached an important milestone: the Final Assessment against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard.
This marks a significant step in the long-term improvement journey of Vietnam’s yellowfin tuna fishery and reflects the sustained efforts of stakeholders to promote a fishery that is sustainable, responsible, and capable of meeting internationally recognized MSC requirements.
Under the current assessment scope, the fishery covers yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean stock, harvested using handline fishing methods within Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Vietnam Tuna Association (VINATUNA) serves as the representative entity applying for assessment and certification.
The fishing fleet covered by the assessment is primarily based in three provinces: Gia Lai (formerly Binh Dinh), Dak Lak (formerly Phu Yen), and Khanh Hoa.
In preparation for the Final Assessment, the Vietnam Tuna Association (VINATUNA), WWF-Viet Nam, and SCS Global Services, the independent conformity assessment body, have been undertaking technical discussions and preparatory work for the assessment process. The Final Assessment is expected to take place from the third quarter of 2026 through October 2027.
The indicative assessment timeline includes the following key milestones:
December 2026: Completion of the Announcement Comment Draft Report (ACDR)
February 2027: Publication of the ACDR and commencement of the site visit and field assessment
July 2027: Completion of the Public Comment Draft Report (PCDR)
September 2027: Completion of the Final Report, consideration of stakeholder comments, and certification determination
October 2027: Publication of the certification report and issuance of the MSC certificate, subject to a successful assessment
Based on this roadmap, VINATUNA would like to provide businesses, Association members, tuna fishers, and other stakeholders with key information regarding the upcoming Final Assessment process.
Under the MSC Fisheries Standard, a fishery is assessed against three core principles:
Principle 1 – Sustainable target fish stocks:
The target stock must be maintained at a sustainable level and fishing activity must not lead to overfishing or depletion of the resource.
Principle 2 – Environmental impacts of fishing:
Fishing operations must minimize their impacts on the wider marine ecosystem, including non-target species and endangered, threatened, and protected species.
Principle 3 – Effective fishery management:
The fishery must operate under an effective management system with appropriate governance, regulations, monitoring, compliance, and decision-making processes in place.
As part of the preparation for the Final Assessment, stakeholders have also been reviewing the information, documentation, datasets, and supporting evidence required under these three MSC principles. Ensuring that relevant data and evidence are complete, reliable, and available for review will therefore be essential to the assessment process.
Reaching the Final Assessment stage demonstrates the substantial progress achieved through more than a decade of continuous fishery improvement since 2014. It also reflects the collective efforts made to strengthen the sustainability, responsibility, and management performance of Vietnam’s yellowfin tuna fishery.
As the project enters this important phase, VINATUNA and the Project Team look forward to the continued engagement, technical guidance, recommendations, support, and cooperation of government agencies, organizations, businesses, fishing communities, fishers, and other relevant stakeholders throughout the assessment roadmap.
Such collaboration will provide an important foundation and source of momentum for Vietnam’s yellowfin tuna handline fishery as it works towards the goal of MSC certification and long-term sustainable and responsible development.
Follow VINATUNA for further updates as Vietnam’s yellowfin tuna handline fishery moves closer to MSC certification.
