Fishing boat insurance - "lifesaver" for Ha Tinh fishermen

(Baohatinh.vn) - Faced with the harshness of natural disasters and risks in the maritime industry, proactively purchasing fishing boat insurance has become a "lifesaver" helping many fishermen in Ha Tinh protect their assets and livelihoods.

In recent years, many ship owners in Ha Tinh have boldly spent from hundreds of millions to billions of dong to build new and upgrade fishing boats, install modern positioning, fish detection and communication systems to increase seafood output and value.

However, this profession of drifting in the open sea also has many potential risks from big waves, strong winds, collisions, fires to other unexpected incidents. Danger can even strike when the ship has docked and anchored safely. In that context, proactively purchasing fishing boat insurance has helped many Ha Tinh fishermen protect their assets and livelihoods, and have the conditions to buy new equipment for exploitation.

Mr. Mai Xuan Quynh was supported to complete the procedures to enjoy benefits in fishing vessel hull insurance.

In March 2025, during a fishing trip far from shore in the waters of Ly Son ( Quang Ngai province), Mr. Mai Xuan Quynh's (Hai Ninh ward) fishing boat was unfortunately sunk by large waves and could not be recovered. "Fortunately, our boat had previously participated in fishing vessel hull insurance and crew accident insurance, so the costs were reimbursed according to the contract. After that, the family was guided by the professional sector, local authorities and the insurance company to prepare payment documents according to regulations" - Mr. Quynh shared.

The sudden storm on the evening of July 19 caused 58 fishing boats in the province to be sunk by waves; the 15m long boat with a capacity of 250 CV of fisherman Tran Dinh Xuan (Hai Ninh ward) alone was severely damaged, causing hundreds of millions of dong in damage. Mr. Xuan said: "Determining that the seafaring profession always has high risks, I am one of the few fishermen who have maintained fishing boat insurance for many years, the storm on the evening of July 19 was also the most severe damage. I am currently completing the documents to get the insurance company to pay, then maybe I will have the funds to build a new boat to continue going to sea."

The number of fishing vessels currently insured is still very modest compared to the total number of vessels operating in the province.

According to information from the Ha Tinh Fisheries Department, the province currently has 3,980 fishing vessels with a length of 6m or more that have been registered and updated in the national fisheries database (VNFishbase). Of these, 273 vessels are 12-15m in length, 71 vessels are 15m or more and 3 vessels are over 24m. This is the group of vessels most vulnerable to risks during seafood exploitation because they have to operate in remote areas, are directly affected by natural disasters and are subject to unusual damage.

Although the practical benefits of participating in insurance are clear, the reporter's research shows that the number of fishing boats that have purchased insurance is still very modest compared to the total number of boats in operation. Currently, the whole province only has about 40 fishing boats participating in this type.

Many fishing boats of fishermen in Thien Cam commune were damaged after storm number 5.

This reality also comes from many causes. According to the law, insurance for crew members is mandatory, ship owners must buy for all crew members and workers working on fishing vessels; while insurance for hull, machinery, fishing gear, and exploitation equipment is not mandatory, only encouraged to participate to prevent risks during exploitation.

Insurance premiums are quite high while fuel prices have been increasing continuously in recent years, and fishing output has decreased, causing fishermen's income to decline. In addition to economic difficulties, concerns about contract terms and lack of trust in insurance companies have also made many fishermen hesitate to decide to participate. In addition, a number of fishermen still have the mentality of waiting and relying on the support of the State, not really proactive in protecting their own assets and lives as well as those of their crew members. Recently, many fishing boats have had accidents while fishing at sea, each time fishermen have suffered very heavy losses, even lost everything because they did not buy insurance. Knowing clearly that this is a "lifebuoy" when practicing the profession, many fishing boat owners still "bet" their assets on the vast ocean.

Propaganda work on the benefits of participating in fishing vessel hull insurance needs more attention.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung - Deputy Head of the Fisheries Exploitation Department (Ha Tinh Fisheries Sub-Department) said: “The seafaring profession has many potential risks due to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions and climate change. In particular, the recent storms No. 5 and No. 10 have caused nearly 100 fishing boats in the province to sink, wreck, break or be damaged, greatly affecting people's lives and production activities. Therefore, participating in fishing boat hull insurance is now extremely necessary not only to protect livelihoods but also to be a fulcrum for fishermen to stand firm against storms and unexpected losses.

In the coming time, the Fisheries Department will continue to coordinate with localities to strengthen propaganda for fishermen about the State's support policies in fisheries development, including insurance support policies, as well as the practical benefits of participation. In addition, to create trust for fishermen, insurance businesses need to demonstrate responsibility, promptly support and compensate customers when facing risks, helping fishermen to soon stabilize production and feel secure going to sea.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/bao-hiem-tau-ca-phao-cuu-sinh-cua-ngu-dan-ha-tinh-post297748.html