Ship number TH-91856 TS of Mr. Pham Gia Thuong in Sam Son ward prepares the national flag before going to sea.
Busily preparing fishing gear for a long offshore trip, but for the fishermen on the TH-91856 TS ship in Sam Son ward, their indispensable luggage is the national flag. It is not only a job to comply with the law, but also a sacred and noble duty. In a conversation with us, the ship owner Pham Gia Thuong told about the memories associated with the national flag during the days drifting at sea: "On fishing trips in the Gulf of Tonkin or the sea from Quang Tri province to the South, seeing the red flag with yellow star fluttering on other ships, we feel that we are not alone as if we are seeing relatives. The color of the national flag at sea has become a signal to identify fellow countrymen in the vast sea".
In the mind of every fisherman, seafood exploitation is not only a job to support the family, but more importantly, a sacred duty to the Fatherland. Therefore, every trip of fishermen at sea has the shadow of the national flag. Hanging the national flag on the ship is to affirm the nationality of the ship, showing respect for diplomatic protocol, especially at this time when the whole country is resolutely implementing regulations on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Mr. Nguyen Van Chung in Van Loc commune, owner of the TH-93360 TS boat, has been working in offshore fishing for decades. There are countless memories of the days at sea, including stories associated with the image of the national flag. Mr. Chung said: “On March 23, 2025, while working in offshore fishing, a worker on the boat had an accident, lost a lot of blood and needed to go ashore for emergency treatment. At that time, the boat was about 50km from the coast of Van Loc commune. After sending a signal on the journey monitoring system and connecting to the provincial fisheries control force for rescue, the whole boat could only wait anxiously. Only when we saw the red color of the national flag on a ship in the distance did we feel that we would be rescued. Fortunately, after receiving support from the fisheries control force, the injured crew member was given first aid and brought safely ashore.”
Thanh Hoa province has 102km of coastline and is considered a locality with favorable conditions for developing seafood exploitation. According to statistics, the whole province currently has 6,555 fishing vessels, of which 1,063 are large-capacity fishing vessels participating in seafood exploitation in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Central provinces and fishing grounds in the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa sea areas.
Mr. Le Van Han, manager of Lach Hoi fishing port, Sam Son ward, said: "We regularly remind fishermen that in addition to catching seafood, each offshore trip is also a task of coordinating with functional forces to participate in protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands. Planting flags on fishing vessels and boats is not only a sentiment for the homeland but also complies with the provisions of Article 61, Decree 58/2017/ND-CP on Vietnamese vessels and boats must fly the national flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Currently, 100% of ships anchored and entering and leaving the port proactively plant the national flag. In particular, due to the harsh weather at sea, many ship owners are careful to carry a spare national flag on each fishing trip."
To further inspire fishermen's spirit and will to go offshore, every year, Party committees, authorities, agencies, departments and branches in the province have organized to present tens of thousands of national flags to fishermen. In particular, in recent years, in order to protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands, each offshore trip, in addition to its economic mission, also has the task of affirming the sovereignty and maritime boundaries of the Fatherland. At the ceremony to present 2,000 flags to fishermen of Nghi Son town in June 2025, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoai Nam told the fishermen: "Each national flag is a meaningful gift to support and encourage fishermen to go offshore as well as affirm that the mainland always looks towards the homeland's sea and islands, towards the resilient fishermen who stick to the sea and fishing grounds. By presenting the national flag, the spirit of patriotism will be spread, arousing national pride so that fishermen can join hands to affirm and protect the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.
Article and photos: Tran Thanh
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/quoc-ky-giua-bien-khoi-256174.htm
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