VietNamNet Bridge – A series of activities will be organised in central provinces from June 1-8 to mark the World Oceans Day and the Vietnam Sea and Island Week 2013, according to the Vietnam Government Portal (VGP).

Among those will be the 5th Forum on the Vietnam Sea Trademark, themed “Sea Sanctuary with sustainable development of seas and island resources”, and the 4th Vietnam Sea Economy Forum.

The World Oceans Day and the Vietnam Sea and Island Week are expected to draw the participation of around 2,000 people who will collect waste and clean beaches together.

The national-level week will be a good opportunity to introduce and popularise the potential, achievements and experience, as well as seek opportunities to develop localities’ sea and island economy, said Deputy Director of the General Department of Vietnam Seas and Islands Nguyen Dang Dao.

This will be also a chance to raise awareness of the role, position and importance of seas and islands to protect the marine environment, resources and national sovereignty in the current integration trend, he added.

Vietnam has a coastline of about 3,260 km. It owns one million square kilometers of seas, three times bigger than its land, with more than 3,000 coastal islands and two offshore archipelagos namely Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

Under the Sea Strategy by 2020, the sea-based economy is expected to contribute 53 to 55 percent of the country’s GDP and 55 to 60 percent of its export turnover.

Source: Vietnam Plus