Vietnamese fishing group caught up in row over Chinese ban in East Sea

By Vo Hai March 26, 2018 | 06:14 pm PT

Vietnamese fishing boats in the South China Sea, commonly known as the East Sea in Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Van Dong

Last week, Vietnam's foreign ministry also voiced its opposition to the fishing ban.

The Vietnam Fisheries Society has issued a statement protesting against a Chinese fishing ban in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, saying it violates Vietnam’s sovereignty.

China's Ministry of Agriculture has announced it is adjusting a ban in Vietnam's territorial waters from May 1 to August 16, which would be applicable to areas north of the 12th parallel north, including the Gulf of Tonkin, Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands and Scarborough Shoal.

“This ban violates the rights and legal interests of Vietnam, the country’s sovereignty to the Paracel Islands and the Gulf of Tonkin, and it hampers the operations of Vietnamese fishermen,” said the Vietnam Fisheries Society.

It also goes against international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) signed between ASEAN and China in 2002.

China’s fishing ban hampers peace and stability in the region, it said.

"The Vietnam Fisheries Society strongly opposes China’s actions, which have no legal grounding.”

The message echoes Vietnam's foreign ministry's statement issued last Thursday, which said it resolutely opposes and rejects this regulation.

"This regulation violates Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa Islands, violates Vietnam's legal rights and interests over its waters and violates international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS]," foreign ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said.