National program on developing aquatic resources approved

A national program on protecting and developing aquatic resources to 2030 has been approved under the recently-issued Prime Ministerial Decision No. 76/QD-TTg, featuring practical solutions to preserve, protect, and regenerate aquatic resources.

By 2030, Vietnam will complete a plan to investigate and evaluate biodiversity, aquatic resources, and the habitat of aquatic species in its waters, including deep sea areas, shallow waters, and underground water tables.

Major solutions include enhancing legal regulations on the management, protection, and development of aquatic resources, and completing and applying policies on changing and diversifying livelihoods for communities living in and around marine protected areas and fishing communities in coastal areas.

It is also necessary to develop and issue mechanisms and policies to mobilize and effectively use both domestic and foreign resources in conserving, protecting, regenerating, and developing aquatic resources and restoring aquatic ecosystems.

Another solution is to support the implementation of co-management in protecting aquatic resources, enhance coordination mechanisms between authorized agencies to effectively inspect, control, detect, and handle violations of the Law on Fisheries at sea and in inshore areas, and to attract international resources and cooperation in sharing experience and training and developing high-quality human resources to serve the task.

Vietnam produced nearly 9.27 million tons of aquatic products in 2023 and earned nearly $9.2 billion from exporting seafood.