Bringing the sea closer to shore, strengthening national defense and developing marine economy

With the presence of patrol boats and ships spread across the sea, along with voyage monitoring equipment... fishermen are no longer alone at sea, the distant sea is brought closer to the mainland.

Vietnam has more than 3,260km of coastline, located in a favorable position, a gateway for international trade and traffic.

With 21/34 coastal provinces and cities, over 50% of the population lives in coastal provinces and cities, therefore, fishermen play an important role in building a national defense posture and people's security at sea.

The southern sea area of ​​our country, with the focus on the DK1 platform area, is rich in mineral resources, has large economic centers, and the most vibrant fishing grounds in the country.

Over the years, the Navy, Coast Guard, Border Guard, and authorities have accompanied fishermen, providing a support for them to confidently go out to sea and stick to the sea, creating a solid, secure, and interconnected formation for economic development and protecting the sovereignty of this important sea area. VNA reporters have written a series of two articles on this topic.

Along with the strong investment of the State in infrastructure of the Fisheries Logistics Center such as wharves, storm shelters and credit policies to support fishermen, in recent years, programs and activities imbued with military-civilian sentiment of the armed forces, Party committees and local authorities in coastal areas have been promoted and put into practice, becoming a solid support for fishermen to confidently go out to sea and stick to the sea.

Firm shore

It is difficult to list all the caring activities and charitable works of the armed forces and local Party committees and authorities for the people along the land border in recent years. This is an important, regular and long-term task of the unit to support fishermen to improve their lives, creating an increasingly close bond between the military and the people across the sea border.

The Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard (under the Ho Chi Minh City Command) said that since the beginning of 2025, the unit has organized medical examinations and provided medicine to 1,300 people, presented nearly 5,400 gifts, 936 scholarships, and many means, livelihoods, production capital, national flags... to households, fishermen, and students in difficult circumstances.

The City Border Guard maintains the following models: "Enhanced English Class," "Charity Rice Jar," "Charity Class," "Breakfast with Fishermen," "Border Swimming Class" and the program "Helping Children Go to School - Adopted Children of the Border Guard Station" sponsoring 99 children and providing financial support for 82 children.

Border Guard mobilized funds to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses, and supported the construction and repair of 18 houses worth more than 1 billion VND.

In addition to coordinating with units and localities, 250 gifts were presented in the program "Spring on the border and islands - Tet with love between the army and the people," 30 gifts in the program "Helping children go to school," supporting the program "Adopted children of Border Guard Stations," building 12 houses for comrades...

Border Guard Squadron 18 also sponsored 5 students under the program "Helping children go to school."

As two units established after the merger, the Defense Command of Area 6 - Con Dao Special Zone and Defense Command of Area 5 - Tam Long under the Ho Chi Minh City Command actively carried out social work in the sea border area including "Free meals" with Con Dao fishermen and giving 200 gifts on the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival to children; "Military-Civilian affection stall" including vegetables, fruits, rice, eggs to serve fishermen in Phuoc Thang and Rach Dua wards; "Breakfast with fishermen" program of the City Command in Long Hai, Phuoc Hai communes and Phuoc Thang, Rach Dua wards...

Ho Chi Minh City Command coordinated with Coast Guard Region 3 Command to organize the program "Breakfast with fishermen" on the Fisheries Surveillance Aircraft Carrier 290. (Photo: Doan Manh Duong/VNA)

Mr. Nguyen Van Ton, a fishing boat owner in Phuoc Thang ward, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the program "Breakfast with fishermen" has been maintained for the past 5 years and is very useful in helping fishermen easily share their thoughts and aspirations.

Not only supporting fishermen at sea, the Navy and Coast Guard forces have also carried out many activities to care for people on shore. Specifically, since the beginning of the year, Coast Guard Region 3 has organized 10 programs "Coast Guard accompanies fishermen" along coastal communes and wards from Khanh Hoa to Vinh Long and the programs "Spring of Love - Tet Sharing" and "Tet on the Islands."

At the programs, 837 gifts, 70 scholarships, hundreds of shopping vouchers, many personal life jackets, flashlights, medical bags, national flags... were presented; the hospital coordinated to organize medical examinations, health consultations, and free medicine for policy beneficiaries and fishermen in difficult circumstances.

Navy Region 2 said that since implementing the program "Vietnam Navy as a support for fishermen to go offshore and stick to the sea", the unit has built 58 comrade houses, solidarity houses, and gratitude houses; mobilized hundreds of ships to support fresh water, overcome drought in the Western provinces, and given many national flags, life jackets, and sea medicine bags... to fishermen.

In 2023, the Region will continue to be the unit selected to pilot the activity "Navy sponsors fishermen's children" and sponsor 20 students who are children of fishermen in especially difficult circumstances in coastal provinces under its management.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nho, Party cell secretary, head of Phuoc Hiep hamlet (Long Hai commune, Ho Chi Minh City) who is also a ship owner, said that the hamlet regularly organizes morning coffee sessions with fishermen to propagate, distribute leaflets, and sign commitments to comply with IUU.

Up to now, fishermen's awareness has been raised, they strictly comply with and do not violate foreign territorial waters, and their fishing boats go out to sea to catch seafood in compliance with regulations.

Officers at the Coast Guard Region 3 Command presented flags and disseminated information about IUU fishing to fishermen in Phuoc Thang Ward, Ho Chi Minh City before going out to sea to catch seafood. (Photo: Hoang Nhi/VNA)

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Long Hai Commune (Ho Chi Minh City) Nguyen Minh Tam affirmed that in recent times, there have been no cases of violation of foreign territorial waters in the area. Fishermen strictly follow regulations on license registration as well as turn on the journey monitoring device during the entire operation at sea.

Colonel Do Hong Duyen, Deputy Political Commissar of Naval Region 2, said that according to the Region's assessment, fishing vessels illegally fishing in foreign waters have significantly decreased and are on the verge of ending.

Fishermen firmly hold the wheel in sovereign waters

In addition to taking good care of people in coastal communes and wards under its management, Naval Region 2 regularly maintains forces, ships on duty, patrols, and controls assigned sea areas, especially performing IUU tasks in the sea bordering Vietnam-Indonesia and Vietnam-Malaysia.

From 2019 to present, ships of Region 2, while operating at sea, have also negotiated and rescued 10 cases/12 fishing vessels captured by foreign countries, brought them back to Vietnamese waters, and handed them over to the authorities; participated in the rescue of 248 vehicles.

DK1 Platform alone has signed confirmation of more than 2,000 fishing vessels entering the area; provided first aid to 58 fishermen in distress at sea; examined, provided first aid, treated, and provided medicine to more than 300 fishermen who were sick at sea.

Since the beginning of 2025, Coast Guard Region 3 has organized more than 250 long-term patrol and control trips by ships and boats, and during these trips, has encountered and promptly rescued many fishermen who had accidents at sea.

Most recently, on October 14, 18, and 27, during a patrol to control fishing grounds and prevent illegal fishing (IUU), medical staff from Fisheries Surveillance ships KN219 and KN201 promptly provided first aid to three fishermen on fishing boats BT 92979 TS, BV 97878 TS, and BV 99368 TS who suffered work-related accidents while fishing.

Fisheries Surveillance Ship KN201 promptly rescued fishermen in a work accident at sea. (Photo: VNA)

Major General Ngo Binh Minh, Commander of Coast Guard Region 3, shared that fishermen working at sea face many risks. The program “Coast Guard accompanies fishermen” has been really effective so far, helping fishermen feel secure to go out to sea and do business legally at sea.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City Pham Thi Na assessed that working conditions at sea are very harsh, so in recent years, the regular presence of Coast Guard and Navy ships at sea has helped fishermen feel secure in catching seafood.

The Navy provides locations of ports, fishing villages, and maritime logistics and technical service centers and guides fishermen to contact the Vietnam Navy's watchtowers for help when their ships have engine problems, lack of food and necessities, and guides fishermen in handling some first aid situations and when encountering foreign military forces and vehicles.

As the largest fishing center in the country, with a powerful fleet of more than 4,700 vessels (of which 2,375 vessels operate in the open sea, the rest operate in the inshore and offshore areas), in recent years, the Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard has actively coordinated and maintained 175 "Self-managed safety boat and ship teams" with 799 vessels, 1,588 "Self-managed security and order teams" with nearly 23,000 members.

The Border Guard assigned more than 200 party members who are Border Guard Station officers to be in charge of nearly 700 households in the border area and more than 100 party members to participate in activities at 98 neighborhood, village and hamlet party cells, creating close ties and promptly grasping the situation, thoughts and aspirations of fishermen.

Thanks to the regular interaction in the spirit of readiness to support and enthusiastic guidance of the armed forces, local Party committees and authorities, more and more fishermen understand better the Party's policies and the State's laws on sustainable marine economic development, comply with regulations on fishing, do not violate foreign waters, proactively cooperate closely with functional forces when going offshore, sticking to the sea, protecting the profession, protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

A joint battle formation onshore and at sea has been established, forming a solid block in the southern sea of ​​the country. With the presence of patrol ships, patrol boats, docks, fishing villages, the Logistics-Technical Service Center, the DK1 Platform cluster stretching across the sea, along with voyage monitoring equipment, and a seamless information system from shore to sea, fishermen are no longer alone at sea. The distant sea is brought closer to the mainland./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/keo-bien-gan-bo-vung-chac-the-tran-quoc-phong-va-phat-trien-kinh-te-bien-post1074635.vnp