The European Union says it has given a “yellow card” to Vietnam, warning the Pacific country it could ban seafood exports unless Hanoi does more to tackle illegal fishing.

The European Commission said Vietnam should fix the problem “within a reasonable timeframe” but did not set a deadline.

It added that Vietnam lacked an effective system to punish illegal or unreported fishing and did too little to stop Vietnamese vessels in the waters of neighbouring small island countries.

Vietnam ranks among the top ten world producers of seafood products, according to the FAO, the UN food and agriculture organisation.

A “yellow card” serves as a warning to a third country. A “green card” is given when the issue is solved whereas a “red card” is handed when it isn’t. The latter would lead to the eventual trade ban on fishery products.