Hue fishermen are 'tired' of waiting to receive fuel subsidies.

Photo caption — In 2025, many fishing boats in Thuan An had to remain docked for several months at the end of the year due to unfavorable weather and lack of funding. Photo: Van Dung/TTXVN

This policy, which was originally a "lifeline" to help fishing boat owners maintain their production, is now being implemented slowly, causing many difficulties for the lives and morale of the people.

For many years, Decision 48 has been an important pillar, helping fishermen venture out to sea, expand fishing grounds, develop the economy, and contribute to protecting maritime sovereignty . However, since 2024, the payment of fuel subsidies to fishing vessels in Thuan An ward has been suspended, even though fishermen continue to operate offshore in accordance with regulations.

Mr. Tran Van Hai, a boat owner in Tan Binh residential area, Thuan An ward, said that from 2024 to the present, his fishing boat (with a capacity of 1,064 horsepower) has made 8 trips out to sea to fish in offshore waters. However, he has only received financial support for one trip, amounting to 100 million VND. Meanwhile, to prepare for each trip, he has had to advance tens of millions of VND to buy food, fuel, etc., to support the vessel.

"We earnestly hope that the authorities will soon disburse payments to eligible vessels that comply well with the law, so that our fishermen can feel secure, expand their fishing grounds, and venture further out to sea in the coming years," Mr. Hai expressed.

Like Mr. Hai, other fishermen in the same ward have only received support once or twice for 2024, and no support has been paid for 2025 yet. For nearly two years, many households have had to borrow money from everywhere to cover the costs of leaving shore and continuing to fish in Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands.

2025 was a turbulent year with many strong storms in the East Sea. Many fishing boats in Thuan An had to stay ashore for months due to unfavorable weather and lack of funds. For those boats that still tried to stay at sea, poor production further depleted the fishermen's finances.

In reality, for many fishermen in Thuan An, the support from Decision 48 helps them rotate capital for their fishing trips. Therefore, the delay in providing support has caused many boat owners to struggle as they have to borrow money before each trip and pay long-term interest. Fishermen's livelihoods are affected, and production is disrupted.

Mr. Tran Van Cuong (owner of an offshore fishing vessel) said that in the past two years, he has only received financial support for one fishing trip, while seven other trips have yet to be paid. He worries that if the delay in support continues until 2026, there may be no fishing vessels in Thuan An capable of venturing into Vietnam's Hoang Sa and Truong Sa waters. Therefore, authorities need to acknowledge the efforts of fishermen to venture out to sea and promptly address the shortcomings so that they can feel secure not only in developing the marine economy but also in protecting national sovereignty over the islands.

According to statistics, Thuan An ward has 167 vessels that meet the requirements for offshore fishing, approved by the Hue City People's Committee since February 2025; in the first phase this year, 85 vessels have already undertaken offshore fishing trips.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Thuan An Ward People's Committee, confirmed that the delay in fuel subsidy payments has lasted for about 1.5 years, significantly impacting the production activities of fishermen. In August 2025, the Thuan An Ward People's Committee sent a document to the City People's Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Environment requesting timely support for fishermen. The City People's Committee then assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to reorganize the Appraisal Council to review and evaluate the dossiers of eligible vessels. However, to date, the appraisal and payment process remains stalled.

Decision 48 is a major government policy aimed at supporting offshore fishing vessels, helping fishermen expand their fishing grounds, improve economic efficiency, and contribute to maintaining maritime sovereignty. In the context of rising costs for each offshore fishing trip, the financial support from this decision is an essential resource for fishermen.

However, the prolonged delay in payment over the past two years has not only directly affected the income and livelihoods of fishermen in Thuan An, but also poses a potential risk of disrupting offshore fishing activities – a crucial force contributing to the protection of national sovereignty at sea. Many fishing boats in Hue have been forced to temporarily remain ashore while waiting.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/cong-dong/ngu-dan-hue-mon-moi-cho-nhan-tien-ho-tro-nhien-lieu-20251212104834214.htm