The Vietnam Fisheries Association have protested China’s illegal ban on fishing in the South China Sea (East Sea) and urged local authorities to take actions against Chinese violations and to protect Vietnamese fishermen.
Chairman on the Vietnam Fisheries Association, Nguyen Viet Thang on May 4 sent a letter to the Government Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs voicing their opposition against the China's unilateral ban on all fishing activities in the South China Sea from May 1, 2020.
According to the association, the annual unilateral ban announced by China will take effect from May 1 to August 16 this year on all fishing activities from the northern area of the East Sea to the 12 degrees north parallel, including the Tonkin Gulf and Paracel archipelago which belong to Vietnam.
"This act by China violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracel archipelago and sovereign right and jurisdiction over the waters under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," the association wrote. "China recently illegally established two administrative districts on the Paracel and Spratly – the two archipelagoes that belong to Vietnam in the South China Sea."
The association strongly condemned China’s unilateral ban, saying it it is completely illegal and invalid.
"Vietnamese fishermen can continue to fish in the waters that belongs to the country," the association stressed.
China has implemented the illegal ban for many years, seriously affecting Vietnamese fishermen's fishing activities, causing them losses.
The association also asked Vietnamese authorities to take actions to deal with China’s move and deploy law-enforcing ships to protect local fishermen from possible threats by Chinese ships, and create good conditions for them to operate in waters under Vietnam’s sovereignty.
Vietnam Fisheries Association strongly opposes China’s illegal fishing ban
The Vietnam Fisheries Association have protested China’s illegal ban on fishing in the South China Sea (East Sea) and urged local authorities to take actions against Chinese violations and to protect Vietnamese fishermen.
Source: dtinews.vn
