In the last days of the year, in the waters bordering Vietnam - Indonesia, many fishermen are still diligently sticking to the fishing grounds. Mr. Huynh Thanh Hai, captain of fishing vessel KG95965TS (An Giang province), along with a fleet of 17 vessels with more than 100 workers, still maintains a steady rhythm of going out to sea. More than 20 years attached to the fishing profession, each fishing trip lasting over 6 months, Mr. Hai clearly understands the dangers always lurking at the forefront of waves and winds.
According to Mr. Hai, in the open sea, the presence of Navy, Coast Guard, and People's Army ships is a great spiritual support for fishermen. "Just seeing the forces performing their duties makes people immediately feel secure. Not only checking and reminding them to comply with the law, they are also ready to support when fishing boats encounter problems. Thanks to that, we fishermen are more confident when sticking to the sea for many days," Mr. Hai shared.
For fishermen, each ship going out to sea not only carries a livelihood but is also a living milestone in the middle of the ocean. The national flag flying on the bow of the ship is both a source of pride and a reminder to people to comply with the law, exploit in accordance with regulations, and not infringe on foreign waters.
Captain Vo Hoang Rot, fishing vessel AG95788TS (An Giang province), said that thanks to functional forces regularly propagating the law, giving national flags and providing timely support when encountering difficulties, the awareness of compliance of fishermen is increasingly improved.
People going to sea always remind each other to do business according to the law. Now, no matter what the circumstances, they are determined not to violate foreign waters," Mr. Rot said.
Sharing his expectations for the 14th National Party Congress, Mr. Vo Hoang Rot expressed his belief: "We fishermen believe in the Party's leadership and hope that the Congress will continue to have policies and pay more attention to the lives and livelihoods of fishermen, so that fishermen can feel secure to reach out to sea, stick to the sea for a long time, exploit in accordance with the law and together with the forces maintain the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland".
Not only offshore, at Tran De Fishing Port (Can Tho City), these days the working atmosphere is also bustling. Fishing boats line up to dock after long sea trips, carrying seafood and expectations sent to the 14th Party Congress.
Fisherman Nguyen Hoang Tam, owner of a fishing boat in Tran De commune, said that fuel and labor costs are increasing while seafood output is still unstable. "Fishermen hope that the upcoming Congress will continue to pay attention to supporting preferential loans, stabilizing fuel prices, and supporting the cost of converting journey monitoring equipment for offshore fishing vessels. With a solid rear, we can confidently go out to sea for a long time," Mr. Tam said.
Besides livelihoods, safety at sea is also a major concern of fishermen. According to fisherman Huynh Van Manh, offshore fishing, the regular presence of functional forces at sea is an important spiritual support for fishermen. Looking towards the 14th Party Congress, fishermen affirmed that they will continue to unite, strictly comply with the law, and sustainably exploit seafood, determined not to violate foreign waters.
We fishermen believe in the leadership of the Party and hope that the Congress will have more practical guidelines and policies, so that sea workers can feel secure to reach out to sea and stick to the sea for a long time, contributing to firmly protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland," Mr. Manh expressed.
