Proceedings of the International Cyanide Detection Testing Workshop

1. Management/guidance to the Ministry of
Fisheries (MOFI) (consulted by Steering
Committee 01) concerning continued
strengthening and implementation
of the Directive 01 (promulgated
the document 1679/BTS-BVNLTS
26/7/2007). MOFI specifi cally requests
Provincial Peoples Committees to:
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Implement widely and frequently
Directive 01 to district and commune
levels and people unions.
Strengthen the Steering Committee
from provincial to district and
commune levels. The Steering
Committees should include some
institutions: fisheries, public
security/police, military, culture
and information. Commune
people’s committee chairmen
should have the main responsibility
for implementation.
Strengthen communications of
Directive 01.
Undertake regular inspections,
Investigate and propose alternative
livelihoods for communities living
near coastal, water bodies, lagoons.
Report to the Steering Committee
every 3, 6 and 12 months.
2. Communication, education and training
3. Inspection of implementation of
Directive 01 in some local areas
4. Cooperation with DOFI inspectors: in
inspecting in the rivers and the sea
The 01 Steering Committee detailed the
following solutions for implementing
Directive 01 in 2008 including:
• Development of new regulations for the
01 Steering Committee activities
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Strengthening local Steering committees
and establishing Steering committees
in areas where they have not yet been
established
Review and summary by localities of 10
124
years of implementation of Directive 01
(1998-2008) to prepare for a National
conference expected to be held in the
third quarter of 2008 (MARD, 2007)
In order to develop Directive 01 effectively,
the Steering Committee 01 was strengthened
with the membership of four Ministries:
MOFI (recently integrated to MARD),
Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of
Public Security and Ministry of Information
and Communications. This combination
of ministries highlighted the important role
of information to strengthen community
awareness and understanding of banned
fi shery activities. However this role has not yet
been adequately considered at the local level
where the illegal fi shers are active because of
the ineffective collaboration between local
stakeholders and communication system.
Although cyanide fi shing is illegal, this
chemical is still circulated and traded quite
openly on the market in Vietnam. Cyanide
is not listed in the government decision on
chemicals banned from export and import
(Decision 05/2006/QD-BCN Article 1 lists
chemicals banned from import and export), as
cyanide is used widely in industrial production
and only referred to as a deleterious waste
(Decision 23 QD-BTNMT Article 2 Declare
the list of deleterious waste matters). The lack
of government regulations on limiting and
defi ning authorized institutions/individuals
in the use and trade of poisons has led to the
situation where the management of cyanide is
diffi cult to control.
Fish harvested with cyanide are more likely
to have a higher mortality rate (Baquero,
1999) and as a result experienced aquarium
owners are willing to pay more for higher
quality fi sh (Tsang, 2001). A number of
countries have developed facilities that can
test for cyanide in fi sh caught for the marine