This scheme, worth VND2,916 billion, was approved by the government this March.

12% of GDP from sea

Annually, the sea economy contributes 12% of Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) and around 50% of total export turnover. The volume of seafood caught from the sea accounts for 80% of Vietnam’s total seafood output.

Since 2002, seafood export turnover has ranked third and this sector uses up to 4% of the workforce.

The sea also provides 35 kinds of minerals as well as large volumes of crude oil and gas.

Other sea-related industries like shipping and shipbuilding have brought about huge amounts of foreign currency for the country.

However, overexploitation has exhausted marine resources and caused serious sea pollution. In recent years, many coastal areas in Vietnam have seen an exhaustion of marine resources while reserves of offshore seafood sources have not developed well.

The use of electricity, chemicals and explosives to catch fish has destroyed marine resources and sea environment.

A report on the current situation of the environment in Vietnam points out that the quality of the sea environment and the coastal areas of Vietnam is declining. The coastal environment has become polluted by many chemicals.

Particularly, the content of pesticide at river mouths is higher than accepted levels. Under the pressure of development and the influence of natural calamities, ecosystems are being destroyed, especially mangrove forests, coral reefs, lagoons, and river mouths in the Red River and Mekong River Delta.

More than 85 species of marine animals are considered in serious condition and more than 70 species are in the Red Book.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the major reason for the regression of marine resources and coastal areas is the destruction of watersheds.

Other reasons include the overexploitation of land, uncontrolled exploitation of coastal mineral sources, abuse of pesticides and fertilisers the construction of sea ports, discharge of untreated waste water into the sea, and unsustainable development of sea tourism.

A new ministry needed to manage sea?

The key reason for the above situation, according to MoNRE, is that Vietnam doesn’t have an organisation specialising in sea management.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Mai Ai Truc said that basic survey and management of the sea overlapped while there was no mechanism for data sharing among agencies involved in sea management.

MoNRE is assigned to manage all kinds of resources, including land, water, minerals, the environment and hydrometeorology, which are related to the sea and islands.

Management of irrigation, salt production, and forestry including growing and protecting coastal forests belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Exploitation of marine resources and preservation of sea biodiversity is assigned to the Ministry of Fisheries, and the Ministry of Industry is in charge of managing oil and gas and sea mineral exploitation.

Other sectors and ministries that are also involved in sea management include the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Transport, the National Committee for Search and Rescue and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

On the other hand, the legal foundation for sea management comprises more than 200 by-law documents, but Vietnam still doesn’t have a specialised law on sea. The country also doesn’t have a sea-related strategy.

The above scheme is expected to help deal with these problems in managing and exploiting marine resources.

Source: TBKTVN