Vietnamese fisheries association slams China’s fishing ban in South China Sea

Vietnamese fisheries association slams China’s fishing ban in South China Sea.

The Việt Nam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS) has voiced its objection to China’s unilateral fishing ban in the South China Sea (known as the East Sea in Việt Nam), saying the annual ban increases the risk of confrontation between Vietnamese fishing boats and the Chinese coast guard.

It is also hindering normal activities of Vietnamese vessels and fishermen in Việt Nam’s sovereign waters, VINAFIS said in an official protest recently sent to the Government Office, relevant ministries, and agencies.

China has imposed a 3-month fishing ban in the South China Sea, starting from May 1, covering part of the Gulf of Tonkin and Việt Nam’s Hoàng Sa (Paracel) Archipelago.

According to the VINAFIS, the unilateral repetitive ban is absurd, infringing Việt Nam’s sovereignty and violating the country’s legitimate rights and interests over its exclusive economic zone. It also violates international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and runs counter to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.