Solidarity group doubles fishermen's strength, acts as "eyes and ears" at sea

Double the power in the middle of the sea

To prepare for the new offshore trip, Captain Nguyen Binh and his crew urgently checked, overhauled the machinery, and painted the fishing boat. The important step that the captain paid special attention to was ensuring the connection equipment and maintaining regular contact with members of the Thang Loi Solidarity Group, Tho Quang Ward, Son Tra District, Da Nang City.

Da Nang fishermen busy for long offshore trips in Hoang Sa waters

Mr. Binh shared that when going to sea, he is always with 11 other boats in the team. The sea is peaceful but also full of uncertainties, so to fish professionally and safely at sea, fishermen must come together. In addition to regularly communicating when discovering fish streams to cooperate in fishing, not doing it alone like before, members of the Solidarity Team also support and rescue each other when in trouble.

Mr. Binh recalled that in mid-June 2019, when the boats were fishing in the Hoang Sa waters, they suddenly encountered a big storm. Fishing boat DNa 91202 of fisherman Le Chien unfortunately sank. Receiving a distress signal, although he was caught in a school of fish, Mr. Binh did not hesitate to turn the boat to the scene. Thanks to his timely actions, he and his crew saved the lives of 4 fishermen in distress.

“Traveling in a fleet of ships only 3-5 nautical miles apart, everyone turned on their ICOM long-range radios 24/7 to monitor, communicate, and know each other’s positions, standing shoulder to shoulder in times of trouble and danger. That helped us feel more confident and have a solid foundation when going out to sea,” Mr. Binh shared.

Fisherman Dang Thanh Vinh, member of Thanh Dat Solidarity Group, owner of ship DNa 91252, Nai Hien Dong Ward (Son Tra District, Da Nang City) said that solidarity is the key factor when working at sea. If a ship lacks raw materials, necessities, etc., other ships will proactively help. Even the brothers in the team do not "hide their profession" when they see other ships "not catching fish".

“Fishermen in the groups are united like a family. When we see that our fishing nets are more profitable, we are willing to share them with other boats to improve our income. When forming a team, we are also more responsible. Everyone actively communicates and knows each other's positions. The strength of the fishermen is thus multiplied many times over,” said Vinh.

"Eyes and ears" at sea

Besides supporting each other in times of trouble, fishing boats in the group also remind each other to comply with regulations on combating IUU fishing. Fishing boats at risk of violating foreign waters are immediately reminded by other boats.

According to the Department of Sea, Islands and Fisheries of Da Nang City, the sea production solidarity group was established on the principle of voluntariness and organized its activities according to Decision No. 1214/QD-UBND dated March 22, 2018 of the City People's Committee on guidelines for the establishment, organization and operation of sea production solidarity groups applied in Da Nang City. This is the legal framework for the formation of sea production solidarity groups, transforming individual exploitation activities without cohesion into organized ones.

Going offshore together helps fishermen gain more strength

Up to now, the city has established 94 solidarity production groups at sea with 680 participating fishing boats.

Mr. Dang Duy Hai, Deputy Head of the Department of Sea, Islands and Fisheries of Da Nang City, said that the team-based seafood exploitation activities at sea have received the consensus and support of fishermen, helping the seafood exploitation industry have many positive changes. The solidarity groups for production at sea were established on the basis of the same profession, the same fishing grounds, etc., thereby exchanging fishing experiences, information on fishing grounds; coordinating to organize services at sea, consume products, reduce travel time, and increase time at sea.

Through the communication system, the teams are also the “eyes and ears” at sea, promptly providing hundreds of valuable reports to the border guards and authorities on foreign fishing vessel activities, security and order, and incidents occurring at sea. Thanks to that, the mobilization of forces to protect sovereignty and support fishermen takes place quickly and effectively, contributing to minimizing damage to people and property, creating conditions for fishermen to confidently develop the marine economy in conjunction with national defense tasks.

“In the coming time, the department will continue to coordinate with localities and border guards to review and strengthen the activities of solidarity groups. At the same time, it will promote and mobilize fishermen to participate in organizing exploitation according to the team model, and develop support plans to improve operational efficiency,” Mr. Hai shared.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/383/172353/to-doan-ket-nhan-doi-suc-manh-ngu-dan-lam-tai-mat-tren-bien