Fisheries Society opposes Chinese fishing bans in East Sea

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS) released a document on May 4 opposing China’s issuance of regulations banning fishing in the East Sea this year.

The document was sent to the Government Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations.

China announced a fishing moratorium from May 1 to August 16 in the East Sea, including part of the Gulf of Tonkin and Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago under Vietnam’s sovereignty, according to the VINAFIS.

The regulations violate Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and waters as well as its legal rights and interests, hamper fishing activities by Vietnamese fishermen, and break international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant international legal documents, it said.

The society also cited China’s recent announcement on the establishment of two administrative units under the so-called “Sansha city” in a scheme to illegally control Vietnam’s Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagos.

Therefore, the VINAFIS vehemently protests these extremely unreasonable actions by China, it said, stressing that the regulations have no legal value for waters under Vietnam’s sovereignty and Vietnamese fishermen have the right to fish in the waters belongling to Vietnam's sovereignty.  

It also urged relevant agencies in Vietnam to take strong measures to end China’s latest actions in the East Sea, and suggested increasing law enforcement at sea to assist and protect Vietnamese fishermen operating in Vietnam’s waters.

The society will actively instruct local fisheries associations and societies to partner with relevant agencies in communications work to help fishermen understand and observe legal regulations while at sea.

It will also call on fishermen to keep calm, continue fishing, step up production, and resolutely practice their legitimate rights, thus contributing to protecting national sovereignty of sea and islands./.