VFTU slams China’s fishing ban

The VFTU protested and dismissed the illegal ban, declaring it invalid for Vietnamese fishermen. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

 The statement was issued following China’s ban on all fishing activities in the sea from 12 degrees north latitude to the border of the waters of China’s Fujian province and Guangdong province, including the Gulf of Tonkin and Scarborough Shoal.

The unilateral ban impacted the fishing activities of Vietnamese fishermen in their traditional fishing grounds and violated Việt Nam’s sovereignty over the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

The VFTU protested and dismissed the illegal ban, declaring it invalid for Vietnamese fishermen.

It urged fishermen to continue fishing and support each other at sea, asking them to remain calm and avoid conflicts to mitigate rising tensions in Vietnamese waters.

On May 17, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lê Hải Bình voiced the country’s opposition to China’s fishing ban in the areas, including the Hoàng Sa archipelago, under Việt Nam’s sovereignty. He added that Việt Nam had sufficient legal foundation and historical evidence testifying to its sovereignty over the Hoàng Sa archipelago, as well as legitimate rights over its sea areas, which are specified in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China’s actions seriously violated Việt Nam’s sovereignty over the Hoàng Sa archipelago, infringed Việt Nam’s legitimate rights and interests and run counter to the spirit and wording of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, Bình said.