On July 29,2022, Prime Minister approved the Scheme for environmental protection in fishery sector in the 2021 – 2030 period.
The general objectives of the Scheme are to control and prevent pollution in fishery activities; prevent and deal with environmental emergencies; protect and develop aquatic resources and living environment, and thus contribute to the prevention of biodiversity loss; improve climate change adaptation capacity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; formulate and develop circular economy and green economy models in fishery activities for the purposes of environmental protection and sustainable development of fishery sector.
By 2030, the Scheme will achieve the following objectives:
- Carry out investigation into, assessment, management and control of sources of pollution and waste from fishery activities; terminate the use of toxic chemicals in aquaculture which causes pollution of water sources and biodiversity loss;
- Gradually study and carry out inventory and assessment of aquatic natural capital to serve the socio-economic development; establish and apply natural ecological systems and make investment in development of aquatic natural capital;
- Deal with environmental issues concerning fishery activities; improve capacity for preventing and warning environmental emergencies in fishery sector;
- Effectively develop aquatic environmental monitoring network and services (including soil, water and sediment monitoring); build and integrate aquatic environmental monitoring database into ministerial and national environmental database;
- Effectively carry out conservation, protection and development of aquatic resources; protection of living environment for aquatic species and restoration of important ecosystems for aquatic resources (including mangrove forests, seagrasses, coral reefs, etc.) which will make contribution to prevention of biodiversity loss; formulate and promulgate at least 02 actions plans for conservation, protection and regeneration of certain aquatic species which are given priority for protection;
- Provide training/drilling and disseminate laws, schemes and plans for protection of aquatic environment to 100% of officials and public employees in fishery sector, 80% of aquatic enterprises, 30% - 50% of fishers and aquaculture households;
- Contribute to improvement of climate change adaptation capacity and step up reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; maintain the annual increase of 8% of aquaculture zone applying sustainable and good aquaculture practices.
- Study, apply and gradually develop the circular economy and green economy models in the value chains of aquatic products in a large scale.
The Scheme will focus on the tasks as:
- Disseminate information and increase awareness of environmental protection in fishery activities;
- Carry out investigation and assessment of actual situations and propose/formulate policies and mechanisms on giving incentives and assistance for eco-friendly fishery activities with the aim of promoting circular economy and green economy;
- Implement programs on investigation, assessment and inventory of aquatic natural capital (tangible and intangible values, etc.) serving socio-economic development;
- Investigate into and assess sources of pollution and the volume of waste generated from fishery activities, and propose appropriate management solutions;
- Improve capacity for preventing and warning environmental emergencies in fishery sector;
- Carry out environmental monitoring serving management of fishery sector (soil, water and sediment monitoring);
- Investigate into and assess existing technologies and application of technologies to treatment of waste generated from aquaculture, commercial fishing and processing of aquatic products, and propose technological solutions for treatment of waste generated from fishery activities;
- Renovate and apply waste treatment technologies to fishery activities in order to establish the premiss for salvage and use of fishery waste and by-products in the form of public-private collaboration;
- Study and gradually make investment in development of advanced waste management model in fishery activities;
- Build, update and operate the aquatic environment database.
Based on their tasks assigned under the Scheme, relevant ministries and regulatory authorities shall formulate annual action plans, make and submit costs estimates for such plans to competent authorities for approval in accordance with regulations of the Law on State Budget.
Provincial governments shall consider allocating funding derived from their local government budgets and mobilizing other lawful sources of funding for implementing environmental protection in fisher sector in their provinces as prescribed.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam will play the leading role and cooperate with relevant ministries, regulatory authorities, provincial People's Committees and relevant agencies in organizing the implementation of this Scheme; formulating plans for environment management and control of waste generated from fishery activities; proactively including objectives and tasks of this Schemes in national target programs and relevant schemes and projects in charge by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam. It also cooperates with the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam in consolidating and requesting competent authorities to allocate funding derived from state budget to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam for implementing this Scheme and priority projects in accordance with regulations of the Law on State Budget and its guiding documents; balance and allocate funding for performing tasks set out in this Scheme according to the prescribed schedule after receiving funds allocated from competent authorities.
This Decision comes into force from the date on which it is signed. Ministers, heads of ministerial agencies, heads of governmental agencies, Chairpersons of Provincial People’s Committees, and relevant organizations and individuals shall implement this Decision.