(VOVworld) - The 15th UN Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea is taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York in the US, under the theme “The Role of seafood in global food security”.
The Head of the Vietnamese delegation delivered a speech at the Consultative Process confirming the role of seafood in food security, especially for long coastline states with a large population such as Vietnam. He urged countries to cooperate in building management mechanisms for effective seafood exploitation to ensure national food security. He also asked developed countries to assist developing countries by transferring advanced fishing technology.
At the event, the Vietnamese head delegate mentioned the latest tensions caused by China in the East Sea which seriously affected the legitimate fishing activities of Vietnamese fishermen.
China surveillance ship (left) chases Vietnam Coast Guard ship (Source: VNA)
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He said the legal fishing activities of Vietnamese fishermen in the country’s traditional maritime areas have been obstructed by increasingly serious violations by China. China has imposed bans on annual fishing activities and intimidated and chased Vietnamese boats and caused severe losses to Vietnamese fishermen. On May 26, a Chinese ship rammed and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat with 10 people onboard. At the beginning of May, China illegally placed its Haiyang 981 oil rig and deployed a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft in Vietnam’s waters. Vietnam has called on regional countries to construct a mechanism to manage fishing activities and avoid unnecessary tensions.