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At the end of March, 62- year- old fisherman Le Van Xin, residing in An Hai Bac Ward, Son Tra District, and his “boat mates” set out to fish in the Hoang Sa fishing grounds. In the brief moments when I met him at the port, he shared his love for the sea. Born into a family with a tradition of fishing in Son Tra District, like many other young people, Le Van Xin's parents sent him to school, hoping that education would relieve him from hardship.

His father pooled resources with local fishermen to build small boats for venturing out to sea to support the family. Inspired by his father's passion for the trade, Xin often visited the docks whenever his father returned from the sea. When nets were damaged, Le Van Xin would help his mother mend them. Over time, the salty sea air that clung to the nets nurtured his love for the ocean.  

After finishing his education, Le Van Xin worked in fishing with his father. Despite his youth, his extensive experience with the sea allowed every trip to be filled with fish and shrimp. In 1993, after marrying, he became the captain of his father-in-law's boat.

However, determined not to work for others forever, in 2000, after saving some capital from many years of fishing, Xin partnered with a local man to build a new 56CV boat, valued at 12.5 taels of gold. With a larger boat, Le Van Xin continued his role as captain.

After encountering many problems with the 56CV boat, he and his business partner decided to sell it. In 2005, after the failure of the new boat construction and modification project under Decision 393/TTg by the Prime Minister on June 9, 1997, which resulted in 42 boats being repossessed by the bank, fisherman Le Van Xin boldly bought a 165CV boat from Mr. Minh, a resident in Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District, for nearly VND 300 million.

“The boat has a 165CV engine, but it is still considered large. To venture out into deeper sea, I decided to upgrade the engine to 240CV, and then 380CV. By early 2014, I upgraded the boat to 780CV to work in both squid catching and three-layer drag netting” Mr Le Van Xin said.

In 2006, when the city established a safe, self-managed boat team at sea, Le Van Xin became the leader of team No. 6 in An Hai Bac Ward, consisting of 7 boats and nearly 70 workers. Since acquiring a larger boat, he began equipping his vessel with modern machinery to improve the efficiency of his fishing operations. Hoang Sa was his primary fishing ground where he harvested seafood alongside his team.

Le Van Xin shared that the Hoang Sa fishing grounds are rich in marine life, so every trip out to sea returns with boats full of fish, generating annual income of several hundred million VND, and workers earn between VND 80-100 million.

Fishing can be difficult at times, but he always applies his vast experience in seafood harvesting, ensuring every fishing trip still brings in good income. With the experience of the seasoned fisherman Xin, his “boat mates” remain loyal even during challenging times.

The atmosphere at the Tho Quang Fishing Port and Wharf in late March was quite busy. At the wharf, many large boats returned from the Hoang Sa fishing grounds to sell their catch. On each fisherman’s face, joy and hope gleamed, with their boats full of fish, ensuring high earnings. Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong, a resident of Xuan Ha Ward, shared “The 10-day offshore fishing trip resulted in a large catch of flying fish, and all my crewmates are hopeful of high income. After 10 years working together, despite the hard work, we have a stable life, and our children have the opportunity to study”.

In the areas where ice and oil are prepared for fishing trips, many boats from Da Nang, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh were busy in preparing necessary items for upcoming offshore fishing trips. Directing the unloading of 130 blocks of ice into the freezer compartments, fisherman Nguyen Van Tien from Nai Hien Dong Ward, Son Tra District, said that after returning from a trip to Hoang Sa a week ago, the income per worker was good. After a week’s rest to recharge, his crew is preparing for a new fishing trip lasting more than 10 days in the waters off Hoang Sa.

At the age of 16, Tien became familiar with the Hoang Sa fishing grounds. From a small boat, after several upgrades, he now owns a sturdy boat with nearly 850 horsepower, used for trawl fishing in Hoang Sa. After 35 years of venturing out to sea, his family’s life has changed day by day. Despite the hardships, he is determined to provide his children with an education to change their lives. His eldest child is now in their final year at university, and he is determined to ensure that all three of his children receive a proper education.

Tien shared that, for fishermen in general, and Da Nang fishermen specifically, Hoang Sa is a traditional fishing ground abundant with seafood. Although there are times when fishing is challenging due to various factors, with a strong determination to develop the economy and protect sovereignty, the fishing fleets are always present in the Hoang Sa waters.

As the midday sun reached its peak, the crew on fishing vessel DNa 91258 hurriedly loaded food, supplies, and ice into the ship’s compartments in preparation for their afternoon departure. Having spent over 30 years fishing in Hoang Sa waters, Captain and owner of DNa 91258, Ho Van Truong, residing in Xuan Ha Ward, Thanh Khe District, firmly believes "Hoang Sa is a sea area belonging to Viet Nam’s sovereignty, and it is a traditional fishing ground for Da Nang fishermen, so every time I head out to sea, I aim for that place".

Nguyen Lai, Head of the Management Board of the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf and Port, stated that currently, around 20-30 boats dock at the port each day, with an estimated 100 tonnes of seafood, most of which comes from the Hoang Sa waters. “In addition to socio-economic development, these fishermen are crucial in helping protect the sovereignty of the country over its sea and islands, especially the Hoang Sa Archipelago which belongs to Viet Nam’s sovereignty,” he emphasised.

Colonel Do Van Dong, Political Commissar of Da Nang Border Guard Command, mentioned that by late 2024, the city established 94 "Solidarity Teams for Seafood Harvesting" with 680 fishing vessels participating.

Of these, 85 teams with 575 vessels operate in the offshore areas, mainly in the Hoang Sa fishing grounds, and 9 teams with 105 vessels operate in nearshore and coastal areas.

Not only supporting and helping each other at sea, the "Solidarity Teams for Seafood Harvesting" also serve as contact points with the maritime information monitoring units of the border guard stations.

Through information provided by fishing vessels, the Border Guard continuously updates weather developments, reports of distressed vessels, and incidents of foreign ships violating the sovereignty of the sea and islands.

To ensure that fishermen have enough resources to invest in modern, safe vessels and meet the requirements of sustainable fisheries, the Central Government has implemented many preferential credit policies and insurance programmes for boats and fishermen to minimise risks while going to sea, aimed at ensuring safety for both fishermen and their vessels. In particular, Decision No. 48/2010/QD-TTg dated 13/7/2010 by the Prime Minister on a number of policies to encourage and support the exploitation, farming of marine products, and services in offshore areas has helped fishermen after each long fishing trip.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Tu, Head of the Economic Department of Thanh Khe District, stated that currently, the district has nearly 90 large-capacity fishing vessels operating offshore. Over the years, the district has implemented a number of policies to support fishermen, ensuring their peace of mind when staying at sea. Additionally, with support funds from the Agro-Forestry-Fishery Promotion Centre, the district has annually set up two product storage models, provided nine identification machines, and distributed seven solar panels for fishermen.

Additionally, 1,032 fishing trips have been supported with VND 82.46 billion in total under Decision No. 48/2010/QĐ-TTg, facilitating fishermen to maintain, stabilise, and stay at sea. Moreover, 14 Solidarity Teams for Seafood Harvesting have been strengthened, the Thanh Khe Seafood Cooperative has been established, and production models linking the value chain of seafood products have been developed. In 2023, support was provided for vacuum sealer machines, packaging for flying fish products, applied on offshore fishing vessels to ensure a stable consumption source, enhance product value, and increase profits for fishermen.

According to the Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in addition to the support policies such as Decision No. 48/2010/QĐ-TTg, Decree No. 67/2014/NĐ-CP, and Decision No. 118/2007/QĐ-TTg, the city has promptly issued specific support policies such as funding for the construction of new offshore fishing vessels, insurance for vessels and fishermen, fishing equipment, product preservation equipment, and tracking devices.

The Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has developed and advised the Da Nang People's Committee to submit to the Da Nang People's Council the adoption of Resolution No. 255/2019/NQ-HĐND on July 11, 2019, which regulates support policies for the development of fisheries in Da Nang for the 2019-2025 period.

Under the resolution, Da Nang supports 40% of the cost for purchasing vessel insurance for fishing or aquatic resource vessels beyond the 50% support under central government policies; 100% of the cost for purchasing tracking devices for fishing vessels and the first year's subscription fee; and 50% of the cost for purchasing machinery and equipment for product preservation and fishing operations. Additionally, efforts are focused on speeding up the review process, evaluating documents, and advising the Da Nang People's Committee to approve financial support for fishermen according to both central and local government policies. From 2019 until now, the Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has advised the city to approve over VND 958.7 billion for fishing vessel owners, with VND 1.64 billion allocated for 2024.

In addition, the Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is accelerating the implementation of the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf and Port upgrade project. Currently, Tho Quang Fishing Wharf and Port have essentially met the needs for developing the fishing profession and providing safe berths to shelter fishing vessels from storms. It ensures the safety of ships during the rainy season and is gradually building a modern fishery port with fish markets and berthing areas, while also promoting fishery tourism.

By the end of 2024, the city had 148 new offshore fishing vessels, 584 fishing vessels supported by funding for the installation of tracking devices and first-year subscription fees, 666 vessel trips supported for vessel insurance, and 4 fishing vessels equipped with machinery and equipment used for preserving products during fishing operations. Notably, the city's vessel structure is transitioning towards reducing the number of vessels operating in coastal and nearshore areas and increasing the number of offshore fishing vessels, which contributes to accelerating the achievement of local fishery development goals.

Mr Tran Chi Cưong, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee, stated that in recent times, the city has been especially focusing on achieving the goal of effective and sustainable fishery development, and issuing various policies and strategies to support fishermen. These include specific support for new fishing vessels, fuel costs, vessel and crew insurance, the application of advanced technology in fishing and product preservation, as well as communications equipment and tracking systems, ensuring that fishermen are at ease while fishing in traditional fishing grounds such as Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

The city's fishing fleet structure has shifted in line with the plan, with over 590 offshore fishing vessels (accounting for 50% of the total fishing vessels in the city each year), which provide 35,000 to 36,000 tonnes of seafood (accounting for 60-65% of the total value of marine agricultural production), helping to create jobs and improve livelihoods for over 6,000 direct laborers in the fishing industry, as well as contributing to the growth of related industries such as processing, trade, services, and tourism.

Mr Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of Da Nang People's CommitteeIn the coming time, the city will concentrate on implementing the plan for the Fishery Development Strategy until 2030, with a vision for 2045.

At the same time, the city will continue to effectively implement policies that support fishery development and explore additional solutions to supplement the city’s support policies; as well as research, build, and develop cooperative models that connect various stages of production, from fishing, preservation, to processing and consumption, aiming to increase product value and profits for fishermen.

The presence of each fishing vessel and each fisherman on the fishing grounds has firmly affirmed the nation’s sacred sovereignty over its sea and islands. And they are not alone. They are always accompanied by supporting forces to help them fish legally, safely, and sustainably in Hoang Sa and other traditional fishing grounds.
 

Reporting by PHUONG THANH - PHUONG MINH - THANH HUYEN - QUOC CUONG
Translating by TRUC VY