Effectiveness of policies to support fishermen going offshore

Decision in accordance with the people's wishes

In 2008, when visiting the Truong Sa - DK1 sea area, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat wished to have thousands of fishing boats present in this sea area. Up to now, that wish has become a reality. According to the report of the Directorate of Fisheries from the Navy's data: In 2010, there were 5,623 boats, in 2011, there were 8,867 boats, by 2012, it had increased to 17,782 boats and in the first 6 months of 2013, there were 12,918 fishing boats operating in the Truong Sa - Hoang Sa and DK1 sea areas. The number of boats observed in this sea area has increased sharply, demonstrating the correctness of the policies and measures of close, scientific, people-oriented and popular implementation; support policies have reached the right subjects, minimizing possible negative impacts.

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As of July 2013, the whole country has supported fishermen with more than 760 billion VND, including 673 billion VND for fuel, 10 billion VND for insurance; supported 2,203 VX-1700 communication devices worth more than 67.7 billion VND; 15,298 crew members have been supported with accident insurance... In particular, the whole country has built 17 VX-1700 shore stations, contributing to enhancing the capacity of state management agencies, not only serving the identification of fishing vessels in distant seas but also actively promoting flood and storm prevention, search and rescue, grasping the number and location of fishing vessels operating at sea to have support measures when necessary. As assessed by Deputy Minister and Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries Vu Van Tam: Now we can know "Where our fishing vessels go and where they return".

Support fishermen more

The policy to support fishermen under Decision 48 has come into effect, creating a driving force to promote the development of offshore fishing, gradually improving the material and spiritual life of fishermen, contributing to protecting the sea and islands of the Fatherland. Along with that, the Government has issued Decisions 39/2011 and 38/2013 amending and supplementing some contents of Decision 48/2010 to remove difficulties and obstacles in implementation and create more favorable conditions for fishermen to go offshore.

To further support fishermen, in the coming time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to invest, build and upgrade the fisheries logistics service area in the Truong Sa archipelago; at the same time, continue to promote the results of the first phase of the fisheries management information project and the HF long-range communication system integrated with VX-1700 satellite positioning formed under Decision 48 to support fishermen, increase fishing output and contribute to protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. The Prime Minister also issued Decision 375/QD-TTg approving the project to reorganize production in seafood exploitation, emphasizing the implementation of the second phase of the fisheries management information project in conjunction with continuing to exploit existing communication systems to support fishermen.

Recent reality shows that the use of the VX-1700 long-range HF communication system integrated with GPS satellite positioning on fishing vessels and shore stations is the right choice, suitable for the current conditions of Vietnam's fisheries, meeting the economic, technical and social requirements set forth. With the continued updating of technical solutions to upgrade shore stations, this communication system will be able to connect and use more effectively the equipment of the shore station system that has been and is being installed in localities; On the other hand, a Central Shore Station at the Directorate of Fisheries will also be proposed to be established to synthesize the results obtained from all local shore stations with a new solution that is both cost-saving, easy to use, and meets the increasing demand for the number of fishing vessels supported under Decision 48 of the Prime Minister.

According to Vietnam Fisheries