The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Directorate of Fisheries, in collaboration with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Center for Supporting Green Development (Greenhub), held a workshop on September 25 to tackle the issue of ocean plastic waste in Ha Long city, the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Representatives from the IUCN (left) and Department of Fisheries
(right) shake hands after signing the MoU for aquatic resources
conservation and development 2020-2025. (Photo courtesy of the Greenhub)

The workshop, titled “Ocean Plastic Waste Management towards Biological Diversity Conservation”, gathered Government and local officials and representatives from international organisations to discuss partnerships between them to support the implementation of an action plan to reduce plastic pollution from the fisheries sector.

It also focused on sharing experiences in plastic waste management with local people and seeking voluntary commitments to reduce plastic waste in the industry.

At the event, local and international experiences on reducing plastic waste from fishing and aquaculture were shared with calls for voluntary commitments from relevant stakeholders. In response to the call for commitments, the IUCN and the Department of Fisheries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on aquatic resources conservation and development for 2020-2025.

Following on from the IUCN’s MoU with the department that ran from 2015 to 2020, the new MoU covers five areas of collaboration: implementation of the Marine Turtle Conservation Action Plan by 2025; improvement of MPA management effectiveness; research on the legal and scientific framework for the Fisheries Resources Protection and Development Fund; management and conservation of threatened aquatic species; and management of aquatic habitats.

The workshop offered a good opportunity for stakeholders including government agencies, international and local environmental organisations and businesses to discuss the action plan and commitments they can make in the fight against plastic pollution in Vietnam.

Facing marine plastic waste pollution, one of the world’s most acute environmental problems, Vietnam is ranked 4th globally in terms of mismanaged plastic waste. Ever-increasing amounts of plastic waste pose significant hazards to marine wildlife.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates about 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is left in oceans each year globally, making up the majority of hazardous macro-plastics in the ocean.