What Is IUU and Why Does Traceability Matter?
IUU stands for Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.
In Vietnam, efforts to combat IUU fishing and strengthen seafood traceability continue in 2026. The Prime Minister reorganized the National Steering Committee on combating IUU fishing under Decision 815/QD-TTg, while the Government has continued directing agencies to address outstanding issues related to IUU control.
For the seafood supply chain, this increases the importance of recording, maintaining and verifying information about raw-material origin, particularly for wild-caught seafood.
How Do IUU Requirements Affect the Seafood Supply Chain?
IUU requirements are not limited to fishing activities. They also involve the verification of raw materials, landing records and origin certification as seafood moves through the supply chain.
Vietnam's Consolidated Document 80/2026/VBHN-BNNMT, issued on August 27, 2026, covers reporting and fishing-log requirements, vessel inspections, landing-port monitoring, and confirmation and certification of the origin of caught seafood.
This makes documentation and traceability increasingly important for businesses handling seafood.
Traceability Is Not Only an Export Issue
Although IUU requirements are directly linked to wild-caught seafood and related export activities, traceability is also becoming more relevant to domestic supply chains.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Plan 465/KH-UBND for agricultural, forestry and seafood traceability from 2026 to 2030 was issued to improve awareness and establish traceability data infrastructure for relevant stakeholders.
For domestic wholesalers and distributors, maintaining supplier, lot and product-origin information can therefore become an increasingly important part of inventory management.
What Information Should Suppliers Provide?
Businesses should clarify what information needs to be provided and retained when selecting seafood suppliers.
Raw Material Information
For wild-caught seafood, businesses should confirm raw-material origin and relevant documentation according to applicable requirements.
This provides a basis for verification when a lot needs to be reviewed or further procedures are required.
Lot Information
Lot codes, receiving dates, product specifications and quantities help businesses track inventory.
When an issue occurs, lot-level records make it easier to identify affected products and review the related transaction history.
Documentation
Documents related to origin, quality and delivery should be retained according to the product and customer requirements.
Clear records help businesses verify information more efficiently when necessary.
What Should Domestic Distributors Do?
One practical step for distributors is to establish a lot-based record-keeping process.
Basic information can include:
- Supplier.
- Receiving date.
- Product name and format.
- Quantity.
- Lot code or identification information.
- Relevant documents.
- Delivery and receiving information.
This approach makes inventory history easier to review and supports more efficient traceability.
Why Choose Suppliers With Transparent Documentation?
Supplier selection should not be based only on price or supply capacity. As traceability requirements become more important, the ability to provide complete and clear information is also worth considering.
VASEP recently commented on a draft standard operating procedure for checking the traceability of caught seafood raw materials used for processing and exports to the EU. VASEP said the procedure aims to strengthen legality, transparency and traceability while recommending that the scope and inspection criteria be clearly defined.
This reflects a broader direction toward clearer source information and stronger verification throughout the supply chain.
Does Traceability Increase Operating Costs?
Maintaining records, updating data and checking documents can create additional administrative work. However, once integrated into a consistent process, lot-based traceability can reduce the time needed to search for information and investigate issues.
For B2B businesses, the relevant cost is not only the cost of documentation but also the potential cost of incomplete, difficult-to-verify or inconsistent source information.
Businesses should therefore balance traceability requirements with their operating scale and product-specific needs.
IUU and Vietnam's Domestic Seafood Supply Chain
In 2026, Vietnam continues inspection, monitoring and procedural development related to IUU fishing. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has organized inspection activities in localities, while separate decisions have been issued on traceability inspections at relevant seafood facilities.
This creates a practical need for seafood businesses to strengthen supplier selection, documentation and lot-level information management.
For wild-caught products in particular, clear traceability provides a basis for controlling supply and responding to customer documentation requirements when necessary.
KDT and Transparent Seafood Supply Information
For seafood distribution, clearly agreeing on product specifications, lot information and supply requirements helps make receiving and inventory management more efficient.
KDT provides product information and supports customers in discussing products, specifications, quantities and supply requirements.
Businesses purchasing frozen seafood can also discuss documentation and source-information requirements in advance to identify a suitable supply arrangement.
Contact KDT
Businesses looking for frozen seafood and wishing to discuss product specifications, source documentation or supply requirements can contact KDT.
Contact KDT for product information and quotation.