Climate Change and Vietnamese Fisheries: Opportunities for Conflict Prevention
Publisher: The Center for Climate and Security
Author(s): Marcus DuBois King
Date: 2015
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Prevention, Renewable Resources
Countries: Vietnam
Eighty percent of the world’s fish stocks are overfished or at maximum capacity.vii This situation is especially evident in the South China Sea where coastal fishing grounds have been depleted to 5-30 percent of their unexploited stocks.viii Consistent with this trend, unsustainable fishing practices have been confirmed in local areas within the Vietnamese EEZ. A large amount of the over withdrawal can be attributed to the incursion of foreign fishing vessels. Declining yields have been exacerbated by environmental destruction of many kinds including that associated with tsunamis and cyclones.ix These stressors limit Vietnam’s options for maintaining food security and could increase the likelihood of international clashes over fishing rights.