Quang Ngai currently has more than 4,700 fishing vessels, of which more than 3,000 are 15m or longer, operating offshore. The total number of workers directly involved in production at sea is about 37,000 people. Large capacity vessels are equipped with modern equipment, requiring fishermen to have professional qualifications to exploit effectively. Therefore, organizing training and granting certificates to captains and chief engineers is very necessary, in order to disseminate knowledge and experience in seafood exploitation, thereby improving economic efficiency.
A fisherman in Nghia An commune, Quang Ngai city - Mr. Tran Duy Chuc - shared: "I have been working at sea for 10 years, but still do not have a captain's certificate. Seafood is increasingly scarce, fishermen's income is not enough to save, so I have not been able to go to school to study for a captain's certificate."'
In Quang Ngai City, there are currently about 200 fishermen who need to be trained as captains and chief engineers. Most of them are low-income coastal fishermen. Meanwhile, to attend the captain and chief engineer certificate course, each fisherman must pay 2.5 million VND to the training facility.
Lieutenant Colonel Lam Van Vien, Head of the Sa Ky Port Border Guard Station, said: “We are coordinating with local authorities to make a list of vessels and fishermen who need to study for captain and chief engineer certificates. We have proposed that the authorities support free training for fishermen.”
In fact, most fishermen at sea today rely mainly on traditional experience from their ancestors. Many have not been equipped with basic knowledge about the profession of captain, chief engineer, and have not updated the legal regulations related to the sea and maritime. This is one of the reasons limiting the development of the fishing industry in Quang Ngai province.
According to Mr. Nguyen Lam - Vice Chairman of Quang Ngai City People's Committee, the city currently has 5 coastal communes with about 1,700 fishing boats. In order for fishermen to be able to safely go offshore, Quang Ngai City People's Committee has implemented support solutions, including organizing training courses for captains and chief engineers of second-class fishing boats. Opening this training course not only equips fishermen with knowledge about operating marine vehicles and equipment, how to troubleshoot and repair ship engines when encountering problems, but also helps fishermen grasp legal regulations when working at sea.
