Vietnam rejects China's unilateral fishing ban in the East Sea

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien has just signed a document to the People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities requesting to encourage our fishermen to stay at sea and produce normally within Vietnam's sea areas.

The document reiterates that the Rural Agriculture Bureau (Sanya City, China) has announced a temporary fishing ban at sea in 2025, to impose a fishing holiday in the East Sea, from 12:00 on May 1 to 12:00 on August 16 in the sea area from latitude 12 degrees 00' North and north to latitude 26 degrees 30' North (including the Gulf of Tonkin).

Faced with that situation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment requested that provinces and cities immediately notify our fishermen about China's temporary ban on fishing at sea.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment affirmed that China's unilateral fishing ban for a limited period of time in the sea area with the above-mentioned defined scope has violated Vietnam's sovereignty , sovereign rights, jurisdiction, and interests in the East Sea and is invalid.

China's unilateral fishing ban in the East Sea violates Vietnam's sovereignty, sovereign rights, and interests in the East Sea. Photo: NLĐ

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment recommends that localities encourage fishermen to stay at sea and produce normally within Vietnam's waters and instruct fishermen to organize into groups, teams, and groups when going to work to support each other at sea.

At the same time, the ministry recommends that fishermen be vigilant against the possibility that China may take tough action, even arrest fishing vessels operating in the above-mentioned waters and during the above-mentioned time.

Fishermen need to promptly notify authorities of violations by foreign fishing vessels in Vietnam's waters.

Localities direct competent authorities to strengthen monitoring of fishing activities of fishing vessels in sea areas through the fishing vessel monitoring system (VMS), take measures to warn fishing vessels when necessary and especially strictly manage the departure/arrival of fishing vessels operating during this time.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment recommends promptly reporting any unexpected incidents at sea involving fishing vessels and fishermen to the hotline of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance (0815 886 188).

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/viet-nam-bac-bo-lenh-cam-danh-bat-ca-don-phuong-cua-trung-quoc-tren-bien-dong-2399229.html