This year, 163 Vietnamese fishing boats were held, damaged or hit by foreign vessels. Earlier this month, 1 fisherman was shot by crew on a foreign boat in the waters around the Truong Sa Archipelago. These incidents have caused justifiable concerns for Vietnamese fishermen. And at the conference, participants all agreed that protecting maritime sovereignty also includes protecting fishermen.
Major General Nguyen Quang Dam, Vietnam Coast Guards said: Fishermen are an important part in protecting a country’s sovereignty at sea. So ensuring a safe and stable environment for fishermen is also one of the duties of the Vietnam Coast Guard.
The Vietnam Coast Guard is committed to working with other forces at sea to continue to support fishermen in fishing and respecting the territorial waters of other countries.
Colonel Tran Van Nam, Director, Department of Law, Vietnam Coast Guards said: The coast guard force always tries our best to stay close and protect our fishermen in legal fishing activities. We also guide them to recognise sensitive and border sea areas.
The Vietnam Coast Guard has pledged to co-operate with related agencies to secure maritime sovereignty as well as fishermen’s activities. They also suggested fishermen actively work in groups and keep in touch with the main land and the authorities to benefit from timely support.
