Vietnam will establish 16 maritime reserves spreading from the northto the south by 2015 and plan to expand the system and put several newreserves into operation during 2016-2020 period.
The measures were revealed in an outline of Vietnam’s maritimereserve system planning to 2020 recently issued by Prime Minister NguyenTan Dung.
Vietnam, together with theinternational community, is embracing a global strategy on protectingbio-diversity and marine ecosystems by facilitating fishery sustainabledevelopment and marine eco-tourism.
The masterplan aims to create an important legal basis for ministries, sectors andcoastal localities to be more proactive in protecting seafood resourcesand their marine environment, subsequently fostering Vietnam ’ssustainable maritime brand name and economic development.
According to the Vietnam General Department of Sea and Islands , thecountry has 20 typical marine ecosystems which are home to manycreatures.
The country has joined severalinternational sea-related conventions, including the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea, the International Convention for thePrevention of Pollution from Ships, the Convention on Wetlands ofInternational Importance and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Therefore, its institutions on sea and island management need tobe qualified in the context of international integration.
It is also necessary for the country to intensify internationalcooperation in maritime conservation in order to attract investment andadvanced technology and marine management methods from othercountries.-VNA