Exchanging about this event, Mr. Vu Si Tuan, Deputy General Director of Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI) said:

The Ocean Conservancy agency has recently announced that up to 90% of waste floating on the sea is plastic, including: bakery packaging, bottle, bag, spoon, straw, etc. According to the worse scenario predicted by the Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Consultant company, by 2025 one ton of platic bag will be found for every three ton of fish. The amount of platic consumed in the Asia is expected to increase by 80% in the next 10 years and will exceed the threshold of 200 million tons by 2025.

The study also shows that there are more than half of this kind of waste comes from 5 Asian countries, of which China is the first one with 2.4 million tons, accounting for 30% then Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. It is extremely dangerous that plastic waste can exist until 400 years. The plastic waste not only cause environmental damage but also huge losses for economy and human health. In term of economic aspect, a report of APEC shows that waste on the sea is causing an annual loss of nearly 1.3 billion USD for the member countries.

* What is the message of the Vietnam Sea and Islands Week 2018, sir?

Mr. Vu Si Tuan: The topic of the Vietnam Sea and Islands Week 2018 is “Keep Ocean Blue”, aiming to call the whole people, politic-social agencies for sharing their hand in marine environmental protection by practical actions such as: organizing campaign to collect waste, cleaning beach, growing mangrove forest, supervising collection, transportation, and treatment of waste on the beach and islands. Besides, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is giving a message on contamination level of marine plastic waste, ringing a belt to warn about this concern so that all the people will together minimize the consumption and uncontrolled discharge of plastic waste, encouraging the recycling, reuse, or production of these products, contributing to marine environmental protection.

* Besides the plastic waste, the marine environmental pollution of Vietnam seems initiate from exploitation and development of “hot pot” in coastal economic zones without a strict control? How do you think about this concern?  

 Mr. Vu Si Tuan: Together with marine economic development, we are having to face with many challenges such as: coastal environmental pollution, rapid development without control in industrial zones and coastal resorts. There are about 70-80% marine waste generated from the mainland. The waste generated from coastal factories and industrial zones discharging into the sea without any treatment. The environmental breakdowns such as oil spill, wastewater discharge, waste submerge are the causes for marine environmental pollution and serious biodiversity reduction. These issues have been regulated in the Environmental Protection Law, Law of the Sea of Vietnam, Law on Sea and Islands Natural Resources and Environment

To apply these regulations into reality, VASI regularly organize propagandizing activities to raise awareness of the people, especially the one in 28 coastal provinces, in collaboration with other agencies to held training courses on preventing and coping with marine environmental breakdowns.

The World Ocean Day and Vietnam Sea and Islands Week every year is an occasion to organize propaganda campaigns in order to raise awareness of the community, especially the youth on the value of marine natural resources and environment; combination between socio-economic development and environmental protection; sovereignty protection and reinforcement of national defense and security   

* To have the desire propaganda effectiveness, what do the World Ocean Day and Vietnam Sea and Islands Week 2018 celebration do to make the difference?

Mr. Vu Si Tuan: with the direction of MONRE, VASI in collaboration with communication center of MONRE have implemented its propaganda campaigns in provinces and cities nationwide, especially in 28 coastal one through media agencies such as: newspaper and magazine, radiobroadcast, television at central and local level; hanging banner and slogan in public areas, streets, offices; launching tree planting campaigns to prevent sand, erosion, salinity intrusion as well as waste collection and treatment.

MONRE, VASI and People ‘Committee of Quang Ninh province launched the “Together keep the blue of the sea” campaign to respond to the World Ocean Day and Vietnam Sea and Islands Week 2018 with the television bridge connecting three locations: Quang Ninh, Quang Tri and Bac Lieu instead of one location as usual. We believe that this way will increase the spreading capacity of the event, providing information to more people in different localities.

At the same time, we also design a Gala program to respond to Vietnam Sea and Island Week 2018 in combination with the dialogue “The youth with sustainable development and Vietnam sea and islands sovereignty protection”, including two main parts: “Role and responsibility of the youth in sea and islands sovereign protection” to raise the love and aware the responsibility of the people on sea and islands of the country; and “Role and responsibility of the youth in the career of sea and islands sustainable development, marine economic sectors to attract investment sources, enhance national economy, protect the national rights and benefits of Vietnam. It can be considered a comprehensive program to create positive propaganda effects to aware national proud, sea and islands love and awareness on environmental protection, sea and islands sovereign protection of the country.

Sincerely thanks!

Kim Lien