Fishing vessels in Việt Nam's Trường Sa (Spratly) archipelago. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Nhật

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS) said it vehemently opposed China's wrongful annual fishing ban, which this year takes place from May 1 to August 16, over many stretches of the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).

The society called this a unilateral, unreasonable repeated ban by China, which seriously violated Việt Nam's sovereignty, rights and interests of sea and islands; and violated international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); contrary to the Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea (East Sea) (DOC).

The VINAFIS has just sent an official dispatch to the Government Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs, and the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Publicity and Education on opposing China's unilateral fishing ban in the East Sea in 2023, including the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelago of Việt Nam.

The organisation said that the ban on fishing in the East Sea for such a long time would hinder the normal operation of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen in the waters under Việt Nam's sovereignty.

Therefore, this unreasonable ban will increase the risk of clashes between Vietnamese fishing boats and the Chinese coast guard; at the same time will adversely affect the fisheries sector and livelihoods of fishermen.

The VINAFIS vehemently opposed the above-mentioned wrongful fishing ban of the Chinese side and asked the Chinese side to immediately end this unreasonable fishing ban in Việt Nam's Hoàng Sa waters.

The VINAFIS also suggested that the relevant authorities strongly oppose and take drastic measures to prevent China's unreasonable fishing ban mentioned above, in order to protect marine resources and special aquatic resources, protecting the safety of Vietnamese fishermen when working in waters under national sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, as well as maintaining national security and national sovereignty over sea and islands.

The organisation said it will direct and guide the provinces, the Fisheries Association, localities’ Fisheries Societies to work closely with each other and relevant agencies to actively inform fishermen to ensure they comply with the law when fishing at sea while supporting fishermen to safely go out to sea for fishing activities, contributing to the firm protection of the country's sovereignty over sea and islands.

During a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on April 20, Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Đoàn Khắc Việt said: "China's 'fishing ban' not only violates our sovereignty towards the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelago, but also Việt Nam's sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as delineated under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

Việt Nam asks that China respect Việt Nam's sovereignty over the Paracel Islands and its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Vietnamese waters, refrain from complicating the situation, and contribute to the maintenance of peace, stability, and order, according to the diplomat. — VNS