Nghe An fishermen set out on fishing boats to conquer Hoang Sa and Truong Sa fishing grounds.

(Baonghean) - Dozens of high-powered fishing boats of Hoang Mai town (Nghe An) are preparing all conditions to go to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa fishing grounds to exploit seafood. This is a fishing ground that attracts many fishermen to both participate in fishing and contribute to protecting the sacred territorial waters of the Fatherland.

On the 18th, 19th and 20th of the third lunar month, dozens of high-powered vehicles in Hoang Mai town are preparing all conditions to go to the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa fishing grounds to exploit seafood. Photo by Nguyen Van

Last weekend, at Lach Con wharf, Hoang Mai town, the working scene was bustling. Each ice conveyor belt ran non-stop. The owners of the ice facility mobilized a lot of manpower to transfer ice to the ships. On each ship, dozens of crew members received ice, quickly transferred it to the storage cellar, where all the seafood after being caught was stored.

Captain Bach Trong Vinh of the NA 90678 TS ship said that for this voyage, his ship needed 1,500 ice blocks, each weighing 100 kg; 8,000 liters of oil; thousands of liters of fresh water and many other necessities and food. Compared to the voyages in the Gulf of Tonkin, the time and cost of a voyage to Hoang Sa could double, sometimes lasting a whole month, with costs ranging from 120 to 140 million VND.

After chatting with us, Captain Bach Trong Vinh quickly moved into the cockpit, connecting to the icom with the Ben Thuy Coastal Station to get information about the weather and fishing grounds. Meanwhile, a group of young crew members were checking all the nets, removing the lead, and the ship's light bulbs...

Mr. Bach Trong Khanh, fishing boat NA 90789TS is checking lead, an important component of purse seine nets. When reaching the Hoang Sa fishing grounds, this fishing boat specializes in catching mackerel. Photo by Nguyen Van

In the hold, fisherman Bach Trong Han, in charge of engineering, is carefully checking the entire machinery system of the ship. From measuring oil, engine coolant, to each fuse, circuit breaker… to ensure good operation before the ship leaves port.

Not far from Vinh’s boat is the fishing boat NA 96699 TS captained by fisherman Cao Van Nam from Dong Luc hamlet, Quynh Lap commune. The crew here seems more leisurely, having almost fully prepared the conditions for tomorrow’s trip. The crew on Nam’s boat has experience in fishing in the Hoang Sa fishing grounds with 4 trips in 2016.

Fisherman Truong Quang Hai said: “Last year, we went on 4 trips, each worker like us earned 20 million VND. The Hoang Sa fishing ground is new, the water is very deep, but after a few trips getting used to it, our fishing did not encounter any difficulties. Some fishermen are hesitant to go to the Hoang Sa fishing ground, but I myself feel very proud, because we not only exploit, bring economic benefits to our family and locality, but also contribute to protecting the sovereignty of Vietnam's seas and islands.”

The crew hurriedly checked all the nets before the ship left port. Photo by Nguyen Van

Mr. Le Ba Ky - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Quynh Lap Commune said: "In 2016, Quynh Lap Commune had 32 vessels registered to exploit in the Hoang Sa fishing grounds. This year, this number could be over 50. Currently, many vessels have fully prepared everything to go out to sea tomorrow and the day after. Quynh Lap Commune also creates the best conditions for registration procedures, as well as timely encouragement in spirit, so that those who go to distant fishing grounds can feel secure in exploiting."

To promptly support each other during the exploitation process, Quynh Lap fishermen have established many groups and fleets to go to Hoang Sa, such as the loan fleet, the 4-pole fishing team, the discussion team... With many ways to support each other, such as exploiting the same fishing grounds in close range, using the same ICom frequency to communicate with each other when finding fish stocks, or when incidents occur during the exploitation process. These are considered good ways, demonstrating the solidarity and mutual support of our fishermen when exploiting in distant and complex sea areas.

Currently, the entire Hoang Mai town has over 60 vessels registered to exploit the Hoang Sa fishing grounds. The State has also created favorable conditions to support each vessel with 100 million VND in fuel for each fishing trip. This has encouraged our fishermen to boldly reach out to new fishing grounds to organize production, at the same time, increasing the presence of fishermen in the sea, affirming Vietnam's sovereignty and territorial waters.

Captain Bach Trong Vinh is connecting the Icom system to the Ben Thuy Coastal Station before the ship prepares to depart. Photo by Nguyen Van

The most impressive thing that left an impression on us after meeting the fishermen before the long, distant sea trip was the image of young fishermen like Nguyen Van Troi, 18 years old, from Tam Hop hamlet, being assigned the task of hanging the bright red national flags with five yellow stars, fluttering on the boat.

On every voyage, on every wave of the open sea, the bright color of the national flag will certainly make every fisherman feel more secure. Because the presence and companionship of the flag is the flesh and blood, the sentiments of millions of Vietnamese people sent to the fishermen to contribute to protecting the Fatherland's sea.

Fisherman Nguyen Van Troi, 18 years old in Tam Hop hamlet was assigned the task of tying two national flags on the boat. The national flag accompanies fishermen on every voyage, together with fishermen affirming the sovereignty of Vietnam's seas and islands. Photo by Nguyen Van

From inside the cabin, as the ship left Lach Con wharf, Captain Bach Hong Vinh's words echoed towards the mainland, towards us, saying: "After 3 days and nights, crossing 380 nautical miles, the ships of Hoang Mai fishermen will reach Hoang Sa fishing grounds. For us fishermen, this is a large fishing ground, rich in seafood, but also a sacred part of the Fatherland, which fishermen have the responsibility to protect and preserve"./.

Nguyen Van