Strengthening inspection and control of marine environmental protection

Quang Ninh has 9 coastal localities along National Highway 18A, including large urban areas such as Ha Long, Cam Pha, Mong Cai, Quang Yen. Along with economic development and production activities, the issue of protecting the marine environment is always of concern to localities, with the promotion of inspection and examination activities.

First of all, to ensure that businesses, organizations and individuals do a good job of protecting the marine environment, the province has issued a set of local technical regulations on the environment. This has created an important legal basis, strategic, long-term orientation, consistent in the leadership, direction and operation of the province; helping to raise awareness and responsibility of businesses and the community about environmental protection. At the same time, the province also approved and announced the locations for dumping dredged materials onshore and offshore under the local management.

The Border Guard Station at Hon Gai Port coordinates with functional forces to patrol and handle illegal fishing vessels in Ha Long Bay.

Accordingly, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has reviewed, appraised and submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval of the dumping locations for 6 projects with a total volume of dumping dredged material of about ^150,600m3 . At the same time, the province also requested departments, branches, functional forces and localities to supervise the units performing dredging and dumping dredged material according to regulations.

In addition, the province and functional forces also inspected and examined units with production and business activities related to the marine environment. Typically, the Bai Tu Long National Park Management Board directed the Forest Ranger Department to conduct 108 forest protection patrols, 413 marine resource protection patrols, and organize inspections of jellyfish purchasing workshops in the National Park; draw up a record to suspend the operation of a jellyfish purchasing workshop in the Minh Chau port area. The Ha Long Bay Management Board conducted 159 periodic monitoring sessions on the status of the heritage environment; developed plans and organized peak campaigns, regulated human resources and means to collect floating waste in Ha Long Bay, thereby urging the collection of nearly 225.08 tons of floating waste in the bay in 2024.

To implement the Ha Long Bay program without plastic waste, in 2024, the Bay Management Board will conduct 84 monitoring sessions, reminding organizations and individuals operating services and tourism on the bay and tourists to strictly follow the regulations on not bringing and using disposable plastic products in service and tourism activities on Ha Long Bay; strengthen monitoring during holidays and peak periods with many tourists. The Ha Long Bay Management Board also participated in the appraisal of 16 environmental impact assessment reports for projects related to Ha Long Bay.

The authorities also coordinate and periodically monitor the conservation status of heritage values in order to control, evaluate, and issue warnings and risks of negative impacts on marine resources. Thereby, in 2024, about 100 monitoring sessions were conducted on the conservation status of cultural - historical values, biological values, and geological - geomorphological values. At the same time, sectors and localities also strengthened monitoring, detection, and handling of violations in the Special-use Forest for the Protection of Ha Long Bay Landscape established by the Provincial People's Committee; Dong Rui Wetland Reserve (Tien Yen District), Co To - Tran Island Marine Reserve, etc.

Forces participating in cleaning up trash washed up at the foot of mountains in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Minh Duc. — Forces participating in cleaning up trash at the foothills of Ha Long Bay. *Photo: Minh Duc*

At the same time, localities continue to renovate coastal ecological corridors, focusing on implementing projects to renovate, restore and plant new coastal mangrove forests, restore and develop coral reef ecosystems and seagrass beds in Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, Co To - Tran Island sea area...

The inspection, urging and propaganda of aquaculture farmers to convert floating materials have also been promoted; thereby, more than 6.15 million standard buoys have been converted.

To protect sustainable aquatic resources, localities coordinate with functional forces to strengthen inspection and handling of violations in the exploitation and protection of aquatic resources. In the first 11 months of 2024, the whole province detected and handled 438 violations in the exploitation and protection of aquatic resources; thereby imposing fines and paying the state budget 4,559.25 million VND. Organized 24/7 operation of the hotline for aquatic resources protection, thereby promptly receiving and handling 106 reports, including 36 reports denouncing violations in the exploitation and protection of aquatic resources with a total fine of 571 million VND.

Thanks to the strengthening of inspection and supervision, the marine environment in Quang Ninh has been increasingly improved; marine environmental protection activities have received positive responses from the people.

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