Fishermen need to be protected at sea

(VOV) - Vietnam has been implementing necessary measures to protect its fishermen in the East Sea, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has said.

Minh was responding to media workers’ questions on the sidelines of the current National Assembly session in Hanoi on May 29, following recent tensions in the East Sea.
Most recently a Chinese ship rammed into a Vietnamese fishing vessel in the area within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, a move which was later denied by the Chinese side.

Fishermen need to be protected at sea

Vietnam opposed the Chinese ship’s ramming, saying it runs counter to an agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues between Vietnam and China.
The Vietnam National Assembly has adopted the Law of the Sea developed on the basis of the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with reference to international and state practice.
“Our stance is that our fishermen should be protected. We will continue with the diplomatic struggle,” said Minh.
FM Minh made clear the Vietnamese government’s consistent policy of settling East Sea sovereign disputes through peaceful dialogues and with respect for the UNCLOS.
“Vietnamese fishermen are entitled to fish in the country’s waters and they need to be protected legally,” said the FM.
He added that the Government will present a supplementary report on the East Sea issue at the ongoing NA session.

Source:http://english.vov.vn