The Vietnam Fisheries Society voiced its objection to China’s unilateral fishing ban in the East Vietnam Sea, including the waters of Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, and demanded the northern neighbor immediately terminate the ban.

The fisheries society on Monday said that it had written to the Government Office, the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Foreign Affairs, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and Commission for Information and Education to express its opposition to China’s fishing ban in the East Vietnam Sea. 

China had earlier issued the annual fishing ban in the East Vietnam Sea applicable from May 1 to August 16 this year.

This is China’s unilateral and groundless ban, which seriously violates Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty, rights, and interests. 

It also goes against international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea, to which both Vietnam and China are parties, according to the Vietnam Fisheries Society.

Such a long fishing ban will impede normal activities of Vietnamese fishing boats and fishermen in the waters under Vietnam’s sovereignty. 

Therefore, the unreasonable ban will increase the risk of clashes between Vietnamese fishing boats and the Chinese coast guard, and hinder the fisheries sector and Vietnamese fishermen’s livelihood.

The fisheries society also called on relevant agencies to strongly object to and take drastic measures to prevent China’s unreasonable fishing ban so as to protect marine and fishery resources typical for each sea area, the safety of Vietnamese fishermen when working in the waters under Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and maintain national security and sovereignty over sea and islands.

The organization will also direct and instruct seafood and fisheries associations of localities to call on fishermen to comply with the law while fishing at sea, and encourage them to keep going out to sea for fishing activities, contributing to protecting the country’s sovereignty over the sea and islands.

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