(VOvworld) – Vietnamese fishermen in the central region have rejected fishing rules issued by China’s Hainan provincial People’s Congress.

Chinese fishing boats in the East Sea in 2012 (photo: Reuters)

The rules state that foreigners or foreign fishing ships entering sea areas administered by Hainan including part of the East Sea and engaged in fishery production or fishery resource surveys will be chased away, have their property impounded, or have to pay administrative fines.

Vietnamese fishermen have continued to go to sea as usual. Cung Dinh Thu, owner of fishing boat QNg 92771 in Nghia An commune, Tu Nghia district, Quang Ngai province, returned from a fishing trip in Hoang Sa. Thu said Vietnamese fishermen don’t care about China’s illegal claim and will continue to uphold their fishing custom in the Hoang Sa archipelago area: "It’s unjust that Vietnamese people should have to ask for Chinese permission. We’re fishing in our national territorial waters and we don’t conflict with other nations. I don’t have to ask anyone for permission. The Hoang Sa sea area where we have gone fishing for generations belongs to Vietnam."

Vietnamese fishermen oppose China’s unilateral rules and consider them illegal. Vo Hong Kha, a fisherman from Binh Nam commune, Thang Binh district, Quang Nam province said: "China’s rules are illegal. I go fishing in our national territorial waters and we don’t enter their sea territory. We’ll continue go to sea."