The State’s policies related to fishery activities in Vietnam

The State’s policies related to fishery activities in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this matter, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. The State’s policies related to fishery activities in Vietnam

- The State introduces investment policies on:

+ Research into, investigation, assessment, protection and recreation of aquatic resources and recovery of aquatic ecosystem; reservation of original breeds of native and endemic aquatic species having economic value and endangered, precious and rare aquatic species;

+ Building class-1 and class-2 fishing ports, sheltering anchorages, necessary infrastructure of MPAs, infrastructure of concentrated aquaculture areas and concentrated areas for producing aquatic breeds;

+ Building a system for monitoring and supervising activities of commercial fishing vessels at sea; a system of information and national database on fishery activities; a system for monitoring the environment and warning about epidemics in aquaculture environment.

- According to each period and capacity of the state budget, the State provides assistance in:

+ Developing science and technologies, especially high, advanced and new technologies applied in generation of aquatic breeds; manufacture of national aquatic products and key aquatic products; manufacture of aquatic feed, products for adjusting aquaculture environment and technologies for processing by-products into food or materials for other economic sectors.

+ Developing human resources and providing vocational training in fishery;

+ Co-management in aquatic resource protection;

+ Building a large fishery center;

+ Buying insurance for aquaculture at sea and island; crew accident insurance; insurance for hull and equipment of commercial fishing vessels extracting marine aquatic resources from the inshore route to the outer boundary of Vietnam's exclusive economic zone;

+ Developing fishery activities from the from the inshore route to the outer boundary of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone; recovering production in case of environmental incidents, natural disasters and epidemics; providing assistance for fishermen when they are prohibited from extraction of aquatic resources or modify their vocations to reduce the coastal commercial fishing;

+ Building a national brand name, trade promotion and developing consumer market of aquatic products.

- The State encourages domestic and foreign individuals and organizations to invest in activities prescribed in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article and the following activities:

+ Organizing production according to value chain and model of association and cooperation;

+ Investing in advanced technologies applied in processing of aquatic products to improve value added of these products and reduce post-harvesting loss; building wholesale markets of aquatic products and promote brand names of aquatic products;

+ Investing in marine aquaculture and organic aquaculture;

+ Applying the quality management system to production and business of aquatic products; tracing of aquatic products.

(Article 6 of the Law on on fisheries 2017)

2. Prohibited actions in fishery activities in Vietnam

- Destruction of aquatic resources, aquatic ecosystem, reproductive areas, areas where offspring live and residence of aquatic species.

- Obstruction of natural migration patterns of aquatic species.

- Encroachment of or damage to protected zones of aquatic resource and MPAs.

- Catching of aquatic products, aquaculture and construction and other activities that affect the living environment and aquatic resources in subdivisions under strict protection and subdivisions of ecological recovery of MPAs.

- Illegal operation of commercial fishing vessels and other watercrafts in subdivisions under strict protection of MPAs except for force majeure.

- Illegal commercial fishing, failure to report and comply with regulations of law (hereinafter referred to as “illegal commercial fishing”); purchase, sale, transport, storage, preliminary processing and processing of aquatic products originating from illegal commercial fishing, aquatic products with impurities for commercial fraud purposes.

- Use of banned substances or chemicals, toxins, explosives, electric impulses, electric currents, destructive methods, means and fishing tackle for extracting aquatic resources.

- Use of fishing tackle for obstructing or causing damage to organizations or individuals that are engaged in fishing; anchoring or mooring vessels at places where commercial fishing tackle of organization or individuals that are engaged in fishing are located or places where other commercial fishing vessels are engaged in fishing, except for force majeure.

- Throwing the fishing tackle in natural waters, except for force majeure.

- Putting impurities into aquatic products for commercial frauds.

- Use of antibiotics, veterinary drugs and plant protection drugs banned from use in aquaculture; chemicals, biological preparations and microorganisms banned from use in the production of aquatic feeds and products for adjusting aquaculture environment; use of aquatic breeds not included in the list of aquatic species permitted for trading in Vietnam for aquaculture.

- Destruction and demolition causing damage to or encroachment of works in fishing ports and anchorages for avoiding storms; discharge of wastes into improper places in fishing ports and anchorages for avoiding storms.

- Abuse of inspection, assessment of aquatic resources to cause damage to national defense, security, national interests, legal rights and interests of other organization and individuals; illegal provision and use of information and data on aquatic resources.

(Article 7 of the Law on on fisheries 2017)

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