Law on Fisheries (18/2017/QH14).

This Law contains revised provisions for the fisheries sector in Vietnam consists of 105 articles, divided into 9 Chapters. The Law applies to Vietnamese organizations and individuals, foreign individuals conducting or engaging in fishing activities in land, islands, archipelago and sea of Vietnam; Vietnamese individuals conducting fishing activities outside the waters of Vietnam. Its provisions concern, among other things, co-management in fishery resources protection, planning on protection and exploitation of aquatic resources, establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) and protection of MPAs and habitats from fishing activities, fisheries resources assessment; freshwater and marine aquaculture; import and export of aquatic breeds; breeding, raising, artificial propagation, import and export of aquatic species prescribed in Appendices of CITES; land allocation, lease and expropriation for aquaculture; capture and management of fishing vessels; combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fisheries resources surveillance, purchase, sale, preliminary processing and processing of aquatic products. The Law promotes policies to create favorable conditions for enterprises to invest in the infrastructure of aquaculture and fish seed production areas, to support fishermen and offshore fishing activities in long-term and to encourage investment in the construction, trading and management of aquatic product markets. It introduces strict sanctions against acts of IUU fishing. Fisheries legislation of Vietnam is amended in accordance with the principles of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures, the United Nations Agreement on straddling and highly migratory fish stocks, the FAO guidelines for responsible fisheries, the FAO International Plan of Action for IUU Exploitation, the FAO Guidelines for Flag State Performance. The Law also creates the legal basis for the State to grant management rights to community organizations in the protection of aquatic resources. A community will be recognized and assigned to management in aquatic resource protection if it satisfies the specified conditions. Provision is also made for Community funds.
The Law also provides with respect to the classification, management and use of fishing ports, and introduces the obligation of cooperation in inspecting and taking actions against illegal commercial fishing inside and outside the territory of Vietnam in accordance with regulations of international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory. A foreign commercial fishing vessel may only enter the fishing port specified in the commercial fishing license or the fishing ports approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Foreign vessels shall comply with notification, documentation and other port entry and use requirements.