Dien Chau: Ensuring safety for marine workers

(Baonghean) - Currently, fishing boats in Dien Chau district are developing in a modern direction, ensuring safe and effective offshore exploitation, in order to increase economic value. With the awareness of ensuring safety above all, boat owners are fully equipped with life buoys, signal lights, communication devices... and paint, mark, and attach registration plates according to regulations.

The offshore fishing boats of fisherman Le Sy Vinh - Dong Loc hamlet - Dien Ngoc commune, before going to sea, all equipment such as Icom long-range communication devices, watchtowers, signal lights, flags, locators, nautical charts, anti-puncture, life jackets and life buoys... are all carefully checked by him to ensure good operation when going to sea. He said: Most of the equipment to ensure safety at sea is provided free of charge to the ship by the functional departments of the province and Dien Chau district. Along with that, the local government has established offshore fishing teams and fleets, and defined responsibilities for mutual support at sea, so fishermen can rest assured to stay at sea for long periods of time, hundreds of nautical miles away from the mainland, both exploiting effectively and contributing to affirming the sovereignty of the Fatherland at sea. However, what Mr. Vinh is concerned about is that not all fishermen make good use of and promote the functions of all the means of communication provided by the State. Therefore, it is necessary to organize training courses to instruct fishermen on how to use these means effectively.

Boat to Lach Van estuary, Dien Chau.

Ensuring safety when going to sea is considered the top priority of all Dien Chau fishermen. Although it is a small-capacity boat, only fishing in the open sea, every time going to sea, fisherman Pham Van Minh reminds his crew members to raise awareness of safe fishing. With full equipment, each trip to sea, Mr. Minh feels much more confident than before. He shared: “Before going to sea, we have to prepare phones, GPS devices, and communication devices. Each person has a life jacket, used regularly during fishing at sea... Therefore, going to sea now is much more secure than before”. Mr. Dau Xuan Thuy - Chairman of Dien Ngoc Commune People's Committee, said: The commune has the largest number of boats in the district. Through fishing teams, groups, and maritime militia platoons, we propagate to fishermen about ensuring safety when going to sea. At the same time, we coordinate with functional agencies to organize drills to improve fishermen's defense. Therefore, ensuring safety when participating in fishing at sea is raised, they are very proactive to ensure their own safety.

Dien Chau has a large number of workers participating in the sea industry with over 4,000 people, mainly concentrated in Dien Bich and Dien Ngoc communes. In addition to providing thousands of lifebuoys, life jackets, communication equipment and devices to ships for free, and preparing forces ready to respond promptly when accidents occur at sea, in recent years, the work of inspecting and controlling conditions to ensure safety for people and fishing vessels operating at sea has been of interest to authorities at all levels, especially Dien Thanh Border Guard Station. Those who do not have enough safety equipment, do not have captain or chief engineer certificates, do not have registration, inspection and do not have their vessels numbered according to regulations will absolutely not be allowed to go to sea.

With strict inspection and control, all fishing vessels comply with and implement regulations on conditions to ensure safety for people and fishing vessels operating at sea. In addition to requiring all over 1,400 vessels to have safety equipment before going to sea, Dien Chau district has established 2 sea militia platoons to both produce and support fishermen in rescue and relief. With the establishment of the Fisheries Union in Dien Bich commune with 155 members participating in labor on offshore fishing vessels, it is truly a reliable support for fishermen in ensuring safety when exploiting at sea.

Along with that, in recent years, Dien Chau has attracted and completed many important natural disaster prevention and control projects such as a 3.5 km long anchorage and storm shelter system for ships with over 150 anchorage posts; completed 25 km of dykes and 18 km of coastal disaster rescue roads and is currently focusing on upgrading Lach Van Port; proactively developing a plan to cope with natural disasters.

Entering the rainy and stormy season, Dien Chau is paying great attention to the safety requirements for fishing vessels, aiming to minimize the damage caused by natural disasters to fishermen, helping them feel secure going out to sea and improving their lives. However, ensuring safety depends largely on the awareness of each fisherman when fishing at sea.

Mai Giang(Dien Chau Radio)