Directive No. 1/1998/CT-TTg to strictly ban the use of explosives, electric impulses and toxic substances to exploit aquatic resources

1. To strictly prohibit all organizations and indh-iduals to illegally produce trade in, store, transport or use e:\.-plosives, electric impulses and toxics to e;\.-ploit aquatic resources in all water areas.

2. The Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of the Interior and the Minisuy oflndustry shall have to take measures to strictly manage tile sources ofe;\.-plosives. detonators, delayed-action fuses and toxics in accordance with the provisions in Decree No. 47-CP of August 12, 1996 ofthe Government, resolutely prevent any leakage of these materials into the market.

3. The Ministry of the Interior and the Minisuy of 4 OFFICIAL GAZETTE No.5 (20-2-1998) Defense shall direct the police and border guard forces aquatic resources. At the same time, they shall to coordinate with the aquatic resource protection coordinate with the central branches and other forces of the aquatic resource branch and the local localities in enhancing the management, inspection and administration ofvarious levels in inspecting, searching supervision and promptly handling violations in the and arresting people who illegally trade in, store, field of the management of explosives and the catching transport or use eA'l)losives, electric impulses and toxics of aquatic resources with explosives, toxics or electric to exploit aquatic resources and severely deal with such impulses. They shall have plans to survey and classify acts according to law, some typical cases should be poorfishennen and truce measures to help them develop documented and brought to trial immediately in the aquaculture or exploit aquatic resources with suitable first quarter of 1998. gear.

4. The Ministty of Culture and Information shall 7. The Ministry of Aquatic Resources and the . direct the news agency, the central and local People's Committees of tlte provinces and cities newspapers, radio and television stations to regularly directly under the Central Government shall have plans propagate and disseminate (free of charge) the for and take initiative in coordinating with the Vietnam Ordinance on Protection and Development of Aquatic Fatherland Front, the Ho Chi Minh Communist YouU1 Resources and the Prime Minister's Directive to ban Union, the Vietnam Women's Union, the Vietnam the use of explosives, electric impulses and toxics in Peasants' Association and the Veterans' Association the exploitation of aquatic resources, launch in mobilizing and educating the people to participate propaganda campaigns through the mass media to in •protecting and developing aquatic resources. in disseminate in various forms the adverse effects of fighting and preventing the exploitation of aquatic the catching of aquatic products with explosives, resources with explosives, toxics or electric impulse. toxics or electric impulses so as to make the entire people aware that the protection and development of 8. The annual funding for the propaganda, aquatic resources is everyone's duty education, persuasion and inspection work as well as activities hunting for acts of exploiting aquatic

5. The Ministry of Aquatic Resources shall assume resources with explosives, electric impulses and toxics the prime responsibility for coordinating with the shall be deducted from the amount of fines imposed ministries, departments and branches at central and on administrative violations in the field of protection local levels in deploying the implementation of the of aquatic resources. The Ministry of Finance shall Ordinance on Protection and Development ofAquatic consult the Ministry of Aquatic Resources before Resources and government stipulations prolu'biting the defining concretely the deduction percentage and the use ofe.'\."l)losives, electric impulses and toxics to exploit principle in the management and use of such funding, aquatic resources; directing the Department for ensuring funding for activities. In the immediate future, Protection of Aquatic Resources and the provincial/ the Ministry ofPlanning and Investment shall allocate municipal Services of Aquatic Resources to coordinate part of the budget of the Bien Dong (East Sea) and with the forces of various branches and localities in Islands Program to the Ministry of Aquatic Resources enhancing the management, inspection and monitoring so that the later can immediately carry out these of fishing boats before they leave for the sea; even activities in the first quarter of 1998. conducting on-land inspection and supervision to discover cases of storing and transporting explosives, 9. The Ministry of Aquatic Resources shall have toxics and electric impulses to be supplied to fishing to oversee the implementation of this Directive and boats as well as aquatic products caught by such periodically report the implementation results to the means and handle these cases according to current Prime Minister. regulations. The Minister of Aquatic Resources, the Minister

6. The People's Committees of the provinces and .ofDefense, the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of cities directly under the Central Government shall direct Industry, the Minister of Culture and Information, the People's Committees of urban and rural districts heads of the concerned ministries and branches and and communes to strictly enforce this Directive. They the presidents of the People's Committees of the should make plans and assign concrete tasks to the provinces and cities directly under the Central local departments, branches and forces with tlte Government shall have to implement this Directive. inspection and supervision function so that they can well perform the propaganda work to educate the For the Prime Minister people to strictly observe the regulations banning the Deputy Prime Minister use of e:\.'l)losives, toxics and electric impulses to exploit NGUYEN CONG TAN