Halong bay quang ninh vietnam

Marine protected areas are aimed to shield threatened marine ecosystems and undersea resources from intrusive human activity.

Vietnam has set up marine protected areas as part of its efforts to sustainably develop fisheries resources and improve fishing traditions to protect aquatic environment in the country with more than 3,600 kilometers of coastline.

Vietnam is rich in marine resources

The ratio of marine protected areas (MPAs), which are essential for safeguarding biodiversity and the health of marine ecosystems, is around 0.185%, compared to 0.24% of the country’s sea given in the government’s Resolution 742/QĐ-TTg dated in 2010.

As of September 2020, MPAs cover 213,400 ha out of 270,271 ha set in the resolution, the information was released at a conference reviewing 10 years of protection and development of Vietnam’s marine resources by 2020 held last weekend by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Years ago, Vietnam was aware of the need to protect marine resources to tap potential of the country having more than one million square kilometers (sq.km) of sea as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) 1982.

Results

Over the past decade, Vietnam has formed 16 marine protected areas (MPAs) to shield threatened marine ecosystems and other undersea resources from intrusive human activity.

MPAs also provide living laboratories for oceanographers and marine biologists to conduct research.

Marine protected areas in Vietnam help protect fisheries resources

The list covers 12 operating MPAs namely Bach Long Vi (Haiphong city), Con Co (Quang Tri province), Cu Lao Cham (Quang Nam), Ly Son (Quang Ngai), Nha Trang Bay (Khanh Hoa), Cau Island (Binh Thuan); Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Co To – Dao Tran (Quang Ninh), Bai Tu Long (Quang Ninh), Cat Ba (Haiphong), Nui Chua (Ninh Thuan), and Con Dao (Ba Ria-Vung Tau).

Four others under planning include Hon Me in Thanh Hoa province, Nam Yet in Khanh Hoa, Phu Quy in Binh Thuan, and Hai Van – Son Tra in Danang city and Thua Thien-Hue province.

In 2019, the country’s total seafood output hit 8.15 million tons, including 3.77 million tons of fishing and 4.38 million tons of aquaculture. Its seafood exports recorded US$8.6 billion, listing Vietnam the third largest seafood exporter behind China and Norway.

Great efforts

In 2017, the National Assembly passed Law on Fisheries that supplements the 2003 law with a focus on the protection and conservation of marine resources and biodiversity to ensure sustainable fishing industry.

The 2017 law details Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and stipulates strict punishments compared to administrative penalties for violations in other fields. It takes into account EU recommendations, and extends to fishery products sourced from illegal fishing for temporary importation, re-export, temporary export, re-import, trans-shipment and transit through Vietnamese territory.

The dialogue on IUU fishing between the EU and Vietnam started in September 2012. The Commission identified Vietnam as non-cooperating country (yellow card) on October 23, 2017 following Vietnam’s failure to address the structural deficiencies in its legal and administrative frameworks to fight IUU fishing that was identified during previous visits.

This yellow card only signals the formalization of the existing dialogue. The Commission continues cooperating with Vietnamese authorities to address the situation that led to the yellow card.

Resumption of economic activities as a result of effective Covid-19 containment has created room for strong rise in trade activities, stated the customs authorities.

Vietnam’s customs revenue in the first quarter of the year rose by 12.17% year-on-year to VND88.45 trillion (US$3.83 billion), or 28.1% of the yearly estimate.

Haiphong port. Photo: Kinhtedothi

Customs authorities in eight provinces/cities, including those in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Haiphong, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Bac Ninh and Ha Nam, collected 80% of the total, or VND68.21 trillion (US$2.95 billion), stated the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) in a report.

“Resumption of economic activities as a result of effective Covid-19 containment has created room for strong rise in trade activities,” it added.

During the January – March period, Vietnam’s trade turnover surged by 25% year-on-year to US$153.65 billion, of which exports expanded by 23.3% to US$78.17 billion and imports of US$75.47 billion, representing an increase of 26.6%.

According to the GDVC, crude oil prices rising to nearly US$60 per barrel, along with hikes in transportation costs and material prices also contributed to higher revenue from import-export activities.

The GDVC also pointed out drastic measures from the government in facilitating trade and enhancing state management efficiency in preventing losses from state budget collection resulted in the declension of tax arrears rate as of February 28 of 0.47% against late 2020.

For this year, the GDVC targets customs revenue of VND315 trillion (US$13.65 billion), in which value added tax makes up a lion’s share of VND230 trillion (US$10 billion).

Such estimate is based on the assumption of GDP growth at 6% and crude oil price of US$45 per barrel.

Vietnam is one of the top aquaculture producing and exporting countries in the world.

Vietnam is speeding up national marine spatial planning (MSP) for 2021-2030 and vision to 2045 under the support by the World Bank.

Part of Ha Long Bay. Photo: Zing

The move is aimed to tap marine resources for economic development, environmental protection, and national defense, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Minh Ngan said at a workshop held in Hanoi on April 16.

He said the planning contributes to developing the marine economy based on the conservation of biodiversity and marine ecosystems and making full use of advantages of sea and islands.

Vietnam is a maritime country. Its coastal and marine economy contributes about 22-30% of the national GDP, according to the World Bank.

The country’s marine activities include marine transport, oil and gas, mineral extraction, tourism, fishing, aquaculture and renewable energy – and all of these uses need space, resulting in increased use conflicts in the context of multi-use of the sea.

Millions of Vietnamese people are relying on coastal resources for their livelihoods, but they are increasingly at risk due to dwindling marine resources and growing environmental problems.

Vietnam has passed Law of the Sea of Vietnam (2012), for marine environmental resources (2015).

So far, the World Bank has supported the plan making of national MSP.