National marine spatial planning project to be completed in 2023

Xuan Hai fishing port in Song Cau township’s Xuan Hai commune in the central coastal province of Phu Yen. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – The Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has completed and submitted an overall planning project on the sustainable exploitation and use of resources in coastal areas to the appraisal council, said deputy director Nguyen Thanh Tung.

A national marine spatial planning project is being finalised, he said, noting that these are also two main tasks of the administration in the last six months of 2023.

The overall planning project on the sustainable exploitation and use of resources in coastal areas will be completed in line with suggestions of the appraisal council before submitting to the Prime Minister for approval, Tung said.

He held that the MoNRE has received opinions from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, 20 ministries and ministerial-level agencies and 28 coastal provinces and centrally-run cities, adding that most of them agreed with the contents of the draft overall planning project.

In the second half of this year, the administration will review the implementation of the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment and advise the MoNRE to carry out the strategy for sustainable exploitation of natural resources and environmental protection of sea and islands by 2030, with a vision to 2045 which was approved by the Government in April this year.

VASI will strengthen management and supervision in the exploitation of natural resources and environmental protection of sea and islands as well as monitor the implementation of organisations and inpiduals after being licensed for scientific research in Vietnam's territorial waters, granting permits for dumping, and assigning sea areas and dealing with consequences of oil spills and environmental incidents at sea.

Regarding international cooperation activities, the administration is preparing to organise the 15th East Asian Partnership Council Meeting hosted by Vietnam and implement the project on reducing ocean plastic waste, Tung said.

He also pointed out shortcomings in resources management and environmental protection of sea and islands. For example, regulations on natural resources and the environment of sea and islands are still sensitive and complicated, especially on the allocation and use of sea areas, so it is difficult to amend and perfect them.

Some coastal localities have not paid due attention to resources management and environmental protection of sea and islands, Tung said.