10 years of protecting fishing grounds, going out to sea with fishermen

VOV.VN - Over the past 10 years, officers and crew members of Fisheries Surveillance Squadron No. 3 have proactively grasped the situation at sea, successfully completed the tasks of patrolling, controlling, protecting fishing grounds, supporting fishermen in marine economic activities; searching, rescuing, and helping fishermen, while participating in the struggle to firmly protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

Established on March 28, 2014, Fisheries Surveillance Team No. 3 is responsible for patrolling, controlling, handling law violations, and inspecting fisheries at sea. Over the past 10 years, officers and crew members of Fisheries Surveillance Team No. 3 have proactively grasped the situation at sea, maintained regular patrol vessels, and successfully completed the task of patrolling, controlling, and protecting fishing grounds, especially effectively implementing Prime Minister's Directive 45 on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU); propagating and disseminating laws, supporting fishermen in marine economic activities; searching, rescuing, and helping fishermen, while participating in the struggle to firmly protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. VOV reporter interviewed Mr. Vu Duc Giang, Captain of Fisheries Surveillance Team No. 3.

Mr. Vu Duc Giang, Team Leader, Fisheries Surveillance Team No. 3

Reporter: Mr. Vu Duc Giang, how does the Team manage the vast sea area with many fishing boats, inspect, control, and examine fishing grounds... in the bordering and overlapping sea areas?

Mr. Vu Duc Giang: Fisheries Surveillance Team No. 3 always identifies the task of patrolling, inspecting, controlling, and protecting fishing grounds as one of the key political tasks of a special nature of the Fisheries Surveillance force.

In recent times, the Squadron has regularly maintained 3-5 ships on duty, patrolling and controlling fishing grounds in assigned and managed waters, especially in bordering and overlapping waters.

The ships of the Squadron have been constantly monitoring and closely monitoring the situation, focusing on propaganda and guiding fishermen to strictly comply with the provisions of the law. We are determined to prevent our fishermen from illegally exploiting in foreign waters; strictly inspecting ships that do not install voyage monitoring equipment or do not install it properly. If fishermen's fishing boats deliberately violate the regulations, we will make a record and send it to the locality for coordination in handling.

Ship KN360 of Fisheries Surveillance Squadron No. 3 rescues fishing boat at sea

PV: To work with the fisheries industry to remove the IUU yellow card for our country's exploited seafood, how does the Team propagate Prime Minister 's Directive 45 to each fisherman?

Mr. Vu Duc Giang: Over the past years, the Team has effectively carried out the propaganda work of the Prime Minister's Directive 45 on a number of urgent tasks and solutions to overcome the European Commission's warning on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. In addition to boarding each ship and meeting each fisherman to propagate to fishing vessels at sea, the Team has closely coordinated with the Border Guard force, the Management Board of fishing ports, and established Working Groups to directly go to fishing ports and fishing ports to propagate to fishermen.

In addition, the Team also coordinated with the People's Committees and Fisheries Unions of localities in the area to organize training courses and propaganda on the 2017 Fisheries Law, Vietnam's Law of the Sea, and Directive 45 for ship owners and fishermen in localities.

Crew members of Fisheries Surveillance Squadron 3 support fishermen with vegetables at sea.

In the past time, the Team has propagated to more than 4,300 Vietnamese fishing vessels, with more than 10,000 fishermen, and distributed more than 5,500 sets of propaganda documents. Thereby, it has raised awareness among fishermen to exploit aquatic products safely, sustainably, and in accordance with the law; joining hands, contributing with the Vietnamese Fisheries industry to soon remove the IUU "yellow card" warning of the European Commission (EC).

PV: Along with the core political task, how do the officers and crew of Fisheries Control Squadron No. 3 pay attention to supporting and helping fishermen go offshore?

Mr. Vu Duc Giang: Since its establishment, the team has always done a good job of supporting and helping fishermen. In the process of propagating and disseminating the law to fishermen, the team has combined giving many life jackets, national flags and necessities, fresh water, food, as well as providing medical support to fishermen.

Ship 360 KN3 Squadron rescues fishing boat of fishermen in distress at sea

In particular, in carrying out the task of searching and rescuing fishermen at sea, the crew members of Fisheries Surveillance Squadron No. 3 always consider this to be an “order from the heart”. Therefore, in any circumstances, whether big waves, strong winds, storms or in distant seas, the Squadron’s forces are always present in time to rescue fishermen in distress.

Over the past 10 years, the Team has successfully searched and rescued 27 fishing boats and 158 fishermen in distress at sea. Most recently, on October 20, 2023, when two fishing boats QNa-90129 TS and QNa-90927 TS of Quang Nam province were in distress at sea, the Team's command team directly participated in the Forward Command Center and proposed many practical contents to direct the forces in the field to search for the fishermen in distress. The Team has done a good job of preparing all aspects, ensuring the reception and handover of 83 fishermen of the two fishing boats in distress to the locality right at the Team. Together with agencies and departments, the Team has encouraged, shared, visited each family of the fishermen in distress, and given gifts worth more than 40 million VND.

Ship KN322 gives national flags, propaganda leaflets and necessities to fishermen at sea

In addition, the team has sponsored two children of fishermen in extremely difficult circumstances in Tam Giang commune, Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province. Each child is supported with 500,000 VND per month until they turn 18 years old and regularly cares for, encourages, gives gifts, and supports daily living items for them.

The above actions of the Team in the past time have left a lot of affection in the hearts of the people and local authorities.

Fisheries Control Team No. 3 propagates the Fisheries Law to fishermen in Tam Giang commune, Nui Thanh, Quang Nam

PV: Given the complicated developments at sea, to best protect all activities of fishermen going offshore to develop the economy, what solutions will the Team implement in the coming time, sir?

Mr. Vu Duc Giang: To best protect all activities of fishermen, the Team will continue to prepare well the forces and means, regularly maintain from 3 to 5 ships to perform the tasks of duty, patrol, inspect, and strictly control fishing grounds; continue to effectively carry out propaganda and dissemination of laws to fishermen, raise awareness for fishermen to exploit seafood in accordance with the law; resolutely prevent illegal fishing by fishermen in foreign waters.

Fisheries Control Team No. 3 carries out patrolling, controlling and protecting fishing grounds.

In addition, we regularly support fishermen with spare materials, materials for preserving and repairing machinery and equipment; support fishermen with necessities; proactively grasp the situation of fishermen's activities, promptly respond to and help people when they encounter incidents and risks; create the most favorable conditions for fishermen to confidently go out to sea.

PV: Thank you!

After 10 years of construction and development (March 28, 2014 - March 28, 2024), Fisheries Control Squadron No. 3 was honored to receive Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister twice; received Certificates of Merit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Central Propaganda Department; 1 Chinese collective was awarded a Medal by the President; 5 Chinese collectives were awarded Certificates of Merit by the National Committee for Natural Disaster Response and Search and Rescue.