Nha Trang, Vietnam, 28 July 2026 – The WCPFC Executive Director, Ms Rhea Moss-Christian, took part in a national seminar hosted by Viet Nam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on 28 July 2026 in Nha Trang Ward, Khanh Hoa province. She was joined by Dr Graham Pilling, Director of the Pacific Community (SPC) Oceanic Fisheries Programme, and Mr Lars Olsen, Project Manager of the Western Pacific East Asia (WPEA) Project.
The seminar reviewed Viet Nam's implementation of its obligations as a Cooperating Non-Member (CNM) of WCPFC and discussed a roadmap towards full membership of the Commission.
The visit gave Viet Nam's senior fisheries officials a rare opportunity to hear directly from WCPFC and its scientific services provider. It also offered an important opportunity to foster continued collaboration between WCPFC and Viet Nam, who is one of three countries supported by the WPEA Project.
Seminar discussions
Mr Tran Dinh Luan, Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, presented Viet Nam's progress in meeting its CNM obligations. He outlined national measures including:
- a legal framework consistent with UNCLOS and WCPFC requirements
- vessel monitoring systems for all fishing vessels of 15 metres or longer
- vessel registration in the national VNFishbase database
- an electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) system
- stronger port inspections and action against IUU fishing
- ratification of the Port State Measures Agreement and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement
He also identified areas for further work, including limited observer coverage, timely submission of trip-based catch and effort data, and fuller participation in WCPFC meetings. Proposed next steps include expanding the onboard observer programme and integrating national data systems with SPC's TUFMAN2 database.
Ms Moss-Christian briefed participants on the Commission's work, the obligations and benefits of membership, and the accession process set out in the WCPFC Convention.
Dr Pilling presented on the status of WCPO tuna stocks and the importance of high-quality data to the Commission's science, including the role that Cooperating Non-Members like Vietnam play in supporting strong science in the Commission.
Mr Olsen outlined WPEA Project support to Viet Nam on tuna data collection, monitoring and management, and recognized the financial support from the Government of New Zealand for current WPEA Project activities.
Continued collaboration with Viet Nam
Viet Nam has participated in WCPFC as a Cooperating Non-Member since 2009. Over that time it has steadily strengthened its fisheries management, catch data quality, and monitoring of fishing operations.
Viet Nam has signaled that it now considers full membership of the Commission a priority. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will first prepare an action plan for 2026–2030 examining the conditions, benefits and responsibilities of full participation.
Viet Nam is a participating country in the WPEA Project, executed by the WCPFC Secretariat together with SPC, which supports improved tuna monitoring and management in the western Pacific and East Asia region.
The WCPFC Secretariat welcomes Viet Nam's commitment to sustainable and responsible management of the region's tuna stocks. The Secretariat looks forward to continued engagement with Viet Nam, together with SPC, as it works to meet its CNM obligations and considers the path to membership.