DECREES:

Article 1.- To amend and supplement a number of articles of the Government�s Decree No. 72/1998/ND-CP of September 15, 1998 on ensuring safety for fishermen and fishery means on the sea.

1. Clause 2 of Article 10 is amended and supplemented as follows:

"Responsibilities of the Ministry of Aquatic Resources:

2. To organize the registration of fishery means and crewmen, and grant permits for exploiting aquatic resources in accordance with the State�s regulations; to organize the inspection and granting of certificates of technical safety for fishery means."

2. Clause 1 and Clause 2 of Article 11 are amended and supplemented as follows:

"1. The Ministry of Communications and Transport shall perform the function of State management over the technical safety of waterway means; coordinate with the Ministry of Aquatic Resources in guiding the registration of fishing ships throughout the country; regularly inspect and consolidate the system of canals, marking buoys and lighthouses to ensure maritime safety; direct the Vietnam Maritime Guaranty Organization to post up storm or tropical low-pressure warning signal on lighthouses upon forecasts of storms or tropical low-pressures.

2. The Ministry of Defense shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the National Committee for Search and Rescue and the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Combat in firing storm warning signals at key canals, ports, berths and fishing grounds in case of storms; direct the Border Guard, the Coast Guard and the aquatic resource protection inspectorate forces as well as local administrations not to allow fishermen and fishery means to sail out to sea when they are not fully equipped with safety facilities and when there are storm or tropical low-pressure notices, which may cause danger to sailing-out ships and boats; get ready together with localities to rescue people and means when accidents occur."

Article 2.- This Decree takes effect as from January 1, 2003. All the previous stipulations which are contrary to this Decree are hereby annulled.

Article 3.- The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government, and the presidents of the People�s Committees of the coastal provinces and cities shall have to implement this Decree.

On behalf of the Government
Prime Minister
PHAN VAN KHAI