Vietnam - China agreement on fishery cooperation in Tonkin Gulf expires

Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnam-China agreement on fishery cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin expired on June 30, according to the Directorate of Fisheries.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) therefore sent document 4829/BNN-TCTS on July 20 to People’s Committees in coastal cities and provinces regarding the management of fishing activities in the Gulf.

The document stated that the agreement, signed on December 25, 2000, took effect from June 30, 2004 to June 30, 2019, and was then extended to June 30, 2020, as agreed by the two governments.

To ensure normal fishing activities in the Gulf while the two countries negotiate in the time ahead, MARD has asked the People’s Committees of coastal cities and provinces to instruct relevant agencies to inform fishermen about the expiry of the agreement.

The common fishing zone and the buffer zone for small fishing boats, which were established in line with the agreement, are also no longer valid. Competent agencies of both sides will manage the operation of fishing boats in the Gulf in accordance with the delimited line as defined in Article 2 of the agreement on the delimitation of the territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves in the Gulf of Tonkin between Vietnam and China.

The localities were asked to instruct fishermen to maintain normal activities within Vietnam’s waters, head to sea in groups to support each other, and swiftly report violations by foreign fishing boats in Vietnam’s waters to relevant agencies.

Central and local competent agencies, particularly those in cities and provinces along the coast of the Gulf, need to intensify inspections of fishing vessels at sea and report emerging incidents via the hotline of the Vietnam fisheries resource surveillance department, at 024 62 737 323./.