On the morning of November 30 in Hai Phong, the National Assembly’s Supervisory Delegation, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Hai Phong City People’s Committee, held a workshop on “Implementing environmental protection policies and laws in the sustainable development of the marine and circular economies”.
The workshop was chaired by Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan and attended by leaders of central ministries, departments and agencies; representatives of key coastal localities; major economic groups; and many leading research institutes.
The Hai Phong delegation included full-time Deputy Head of the city’s National Assembly Delegation La Thanh Tan and Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong City People’s Committee Vu Tien Phung.
In his opening remarks, Nguyen Thanh Hai, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, stressed: “The sea is not only a resource but also a cultural space and a source of development. A sustainable marine economy cannot be developed if human activities damage the sea. Obstacles in implementing policies and laws on environmental protection, marine economic development and the circular economy must be removed promptly.”
The workshop focused on assessing the current situation and potential for marine economic development, analysing practical models in localities and identifying legal “bottlenecks”. It also proposed breakthrough solutions to shift from a linear economic model to a circular economy, contributing to the goal of Net Zero by 2050.
At the workshop, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development stressed: “Marine resources are finite, but our responsibility to the sea is unlimited. Only when every ministry, sector, locality and enterprise complies with the law and respects the environment can we build a sustainable and competitive marine economy in line with global trends.”
Thirteen thematic reports were presented, focusing on major areas such as trends in the green marine economy and science-and-technology orientations serving the marine economy; the circular economy in aquaculture and industrial marine farming; green transformation in maritime and inland waterway transport; conservation-linked green tourism; marine science, technology and data; marine biotechnology and biodiversity conservation; fisheries extension and green energy transition.
The presentations painted a comprehensive picture of Vietnam’s marine economy in 2025 and offered many solutions for effective and sustainable development. They also candidly identified major barriers holding back the green marine and circular economies, including an inconsistent legal framework, with no separate laws on the circular economy and green marine economy and insufficient guidance on financial incentives, taxation and green credit; weak technical infrastructure, especially for waste collection and treatment at fishing ports, aquaculture areas and island districts; and limited resources, particularly for basic surveys and recycling technology.
Concluding the workshop, Vice Chairman Le Minh Hoan affirmed: “The sea is not only a space for survival but also a new driver of development. We must shift from a mindset of exploiting resources to one of nurturing and developing ecological value.” He asked the Government and ministries and sectors to soon complete the legal framework and strengthen mechanisms encouraging the circular economy, with the goal of making Vietnam a strong maritime nation and creating prosperity from the sea on a green and sustainable foundation.
The National Assembly’s Supervisory Delegation will fully consolidate the recommendations for reporting to the National Assembly Standing Committee, providing a basis for amending and supplementing relevant laws in the coming period. This will contribute to completing the legal framework for the marine economy, promoting the circular economy, developing renewable energy and ecotourism, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnam’s marine economy./
Source: Hai Phong City Electronic Information Portal