08/06/2026
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In celebration of Vietnam's Sea and Islands Week and World Oceans Day (June 8), ocean protection has become an urgent priority. Vietnam's sea and islands are not merely territorial boundaries; they are "green coordinates" that nourish a circular economy. Faced with mounting ecological challenges, the core task today is to tightly combine the preservation of national sovereignty with genuine efforts to safeguard the ocean's natural resources.
From Territorial Sovereignty to the Threat of Marine Resource Depletion
Vietnam is a coastal nation with a vast exclusive economic zone and thousands of islands forming a strategic belt for national defense and security. In the context of sustainable development, however, maritime space carries not only vital significance for affirming territorial sovereignty but also serves as a strategic foundation for the national economy. This natural wealth provides livelihoods for millions of people and is a core driver of the blue ocean economy. In reality, the ocean is facing exploitation pressures that far exceed its ecological limits and natural capacity for recovery.
According to the National Report on the State of Marine and Island Environment published by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), Vietnam's coastal fishery stocks are declining at an alarming rate. In-depth analyses show that catch per unit effort (CPUE) has fallen steadily over the past decade. At the same time, the composition of catches is deteriorating, with rising proportions of juvenile fish and bycatch, reflecting the serious depletion of native marine populations.
The root cause of this ecological breakdown is illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The widespread use of destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawling and electrofishing not only destroys coral reef structures and disrupts underwater food chains but also completely eliminates the ocean's capacity for reproduction and natural regeneration, directly threatening national resource security.
From a macroeconomic perspective, the consequences of overfishing and IUU violations are being measured in enormous financial losses. Since the European Commission (EC) issued an official warning regarding Vietnamese wild-caught seafood in October 2017, the export value chain has suffered severe, direct impacts. Research data published by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) in collaboration with the World Bank indicates that trade barriers resulting from this warning have cost Vietnam's seafood industry approximately 387 million USD per year in the EU market alone.
Economic experts emphasize that if fisheries governance is not fundamentally improved to lift the warning, or worse, if a full import ban is imposed, Vietnam's ocean economy could face losses of nearly 500 million USD per year. The IUU issue is therefore no longer a matter confined to the fishing industry; it is a major barrier threatening the livelihoods of millions of fishermen and undermining Vietnam's competitiveness in international markets.
Spreading Knowledge: Using an Economics Lens to Address Marine Ecological Depletion
Faced with the serious decline of ocean resources, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) does not approach the issue purely from a biological conservation standpoint. Instead, UEH views it as a core challenge of macroeconomic governance and supply chain risk management.
Drawing on its strengths as a leading research and training institution, UEH is committed to translating academic knowledge into practical outreach interventions. Rather than surface-level communication, the university channels its expertise through the Institute of Environmental Economics (EEI) and relevant academic departments to apply economic tools to the "negative externalities" of the fishing industry. Through cost-benefit analysis models, UEH experts have been quantifying the invisible losses of ecosystems into concrete financial risks.
Building on this evidence-based foundation, UEH provides rigorous scientific arguments to demonstrate clearly to students, partners, and businesses that short-term profits from illegal fishing practices can never offset the enormous consequences of international trade barriers, value chain disruption, and declining national competitiveness.
Integrating this knowledge into academic forums and training programs serves as a strategic lever. It not only helps dismantle the extractive mindset toward natural resources, but also directly equips the next generation of leaders with a policy-making framework grounded in sustainable development, gradually steering Vietnam toward a truly comprehensive blue ocean economy.
Internal Governance Framework: UEH's Ethical Procurement Policy
UEH's commitment to ocean protection (SDG 14) extends beyond outreach and finds concrete expression in internal governance policies within the university. The most notable example is the implementation of an Ethical Procurement and Supply Policy.
In the process of tendering and selecting food service and canteen providers on campus, UEH establishes a set of mandatory standards, giving absolute priority to suppliers that commit to sourcing seafood from transparent aquaculture and sustainable fishing practices. In particular, the university enforces strict controls and takes a firm stand against consuming any seafood products flagged for IUU violations or caught using destructive methods.
Protecting Vietnam's sea and islands is not a distant slogan; it begins with concrete policies and informed consumer choices. At UEH, responsibility toward the ocean is affirmed through real action, from community projects to the ethical standards behind every meal served to students.
#WorldEnvironmentDay2026 #WorldOceansDay2026 #VietnamSeaAndIslandsWeek #SDG14
News and photos: UEH Green Campus Project
