In recent days, many fishermen from Da Nang, and from the country as a whole, have been very pleased with their bumper catches from Viet Nam’s territory waters although China is now operating a unilateral fishing ban.  The prohibition is applied to a part of the East Sea which includes Viet Nam’s Hoang Sa waters and some sections of the Tonkin Gulf from 1 May to 16 August.

A happy fisherman

On Sunday, dozens of fishing vessels from some central regional localities berthed bumper-to-bumper at Da Nang’s Tho Quang fishing wharf.  The wharf saw an exciting atmosphere as many local seafood traders were very busy buying fresh seafood from the offshore fishermen.

After its trip of 15 days to the Hoang Sa fishing grounds, boat DNa 90316 from Thanh Khe District’s Thanh Khe Dong Ward brought back 10 tonnes of fish, valued at over 300 million VND, and its crew members received over 10 million VND each.

In particular, Captain Thai Dinh Long said that his boat had not been chased away by Chinese ships and airplanes whist it was operating legally in the Hoang Sa waters.  However, he and other crew members were on a high alert against any possible threats by Chinese vessels. 

Mr Long said that his crew members would be allowed to return to their homes for a few days relaxation before their next trip to the Hoang Sa waters.

Fishermen busy making preparations for a trip

Captain Pham Van Nga of fishing boat DNa 90694 from Son Tra District’s Nai Hien Dong Ward said that his boat had made a 8-day safe and profitable trip to the Hoang Sa fishing grounds, regardless of China’s totally illegal ban. 

His boat brought back over 3 tonnes of flying fish totalling 100 million VND, and each crew member was paid over 3 million VND.

Mr Nga said, “As in previous years, China is now operating the ban, but I and other Vietnamese fishermen are still making trips to the Hoang Sa waters which are traditional Vietnamese fishing grounds.  We think that being afraid of the illegal ban is to admit China’s ownership of our traditional fishing grounds”.

Mr Nga happily said that, in recent days, Vietnamese border guard and naval forces have kept around-the-clock contact with local fishermen operating offshore to help make them feel more secure whilst fishing in Vietnamese waters.

In a similar vein, Captain Nguyen Ha of boat QNg98197 from Quang Ngai Province said that he felt very happy with his bumper catch from Viet Nam’s territorial waters, and he earned nearly 300 million VND from the sales of freshly-caught seafood.

Another fisherman from the province, Mr Huynh Van No, highlighted the importance of conducting fishing activities in safe areas in order to avoid possible confrontations with the Chinese ships.  He also hoped that Viet Nam’s law enforcement forces would increase their presence at sea to help support Vietnamese fishermen whilst fishing in Vietnamese waters.

According to the Management Board of Da Nang’s Tho Quang Wharf and Port, in recent days, boats have brought home a total of around 200 tonnes of seafood every day.  After 17^th day of the 4^th lunar month, the boats will make next trips to Vietnamese waters.