Opportunities for Vietnamese aquatic resources preservation and development will be broadened following the signing of an MoU between the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on May 22.

The two sides will cooperate from 2015-2020 in preserving endangered aquatic creatures. They will evaluate the efficiency of Vietnam’s network of marine conservation sites and complete legal frameworks for the Fund for Aquatic Resources Reproduction (VIFARR).

The highlight of the MoU is bilateral collaboration in building and implementing the national plan of actions to preserve sea turtles through joint research, information exchange and a database monitoring the species.

At the signing ceremony, MARD Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam highlighted the fact that Vietnam has zoned off 16 national marine conservation sites. He expressed his hope that the MoU will produce practical results to protect Vietnamese aquatic animals and plant life.

He spoke highly of the support given by IUCN and other international organisations for the Vietnamese aquatic sector.

VNA