For the ships far out at sea…

(Baonghean) - On each trip out to sea, in addition to the task of catching aquatic products, fishermen also carry the responsibility of participating in protecting the sovereignty and security of the sea as well as participating in search and rescue. Each fisherman and each ship is a "living milestone" tirelessly going out to sea to affirm the sovereignty of the sacred sea and islands of the Fatherland.

Soldiers without guns

More than 35 years at sea is a period that fisherman Nguyen Quang Toan (born in 1957) in Xuan Duong hamlet, Nghi Xuan commune (Nghi Loc) can never forget in his mind. His love for the sea is hard to describe, only knowing that, if he does not go to sea, he always feels restless and worried. The 155 CV boat he owns has traveled through many sea areas, bringing home about 100 million VND each month for his family, each worker on the boat also has an income of about 8-10 million VND. Many people know him not only as a good fisherman but also as someone who is always responsible for participating in protecting the sovereignty and security of the sea. Mr. Toan said: “My father-in-law was the Secretary of Van Xuan Cooperative for more than 30 years and during his work, he always actively participated with the police and border guards to monitor the situation to ensure security and order. Continuing that family tradition, in 2003, I began to record events at sea to report to the border guards. I realized that I have to protect my sea and everyone has to be responsible and take specific actions according to their own circumstances.”

Fishing fleet of Quynh Phuong ward (Hoang Mai town).

Turning each page of the travel diary, Mr. Toan showed us the lines of text recording coordinates, locations and specific content. Those were the times he saw Chinese ships brazenly fishing in our country's waters or ships showing signs of smuggling gasoline and using explosives to illegally catch seafood. He recorded all of them carefully and meticulously. Mr. Toan could not remember how much news from the sea he had reported to the border guards, but what he felt was the reception and quick handling of the border guards, he felt very secure. "Vietnamese fishermen do not succumb to the disturbances and violations of territorial waters by Chinese ships. For a long time, people have considered "the sea as home" so in difficult times they still firmly stick to the sea," Mr. Toan firmly affirmed.

Fisherman Nguyen Quang Toan and his maritime security diary.

Young fisherman Nguyen Phuc Son (born in 1981), Quyet Tien block, Quynh Phuong ward, Hoang Mai town, said that during fishing trips in the Gulf of Tonkin or the waters from Thanh Hoa to Da Nang, Chinese fishing boats appeared a lot. There were some ships that openly provoked our fishermen's boats. Each time like that, the fishermen were very calm and clever in handling the situation, maintaining security at sea. "The flag not only shows our position but also affirms sacred and inviolable sovereignty. Therefore, when the flag is torn, we have to replace it immediately and on each trip, 4-5 flags are always prepared on the ship to replace when needed. The flag is hung up to symbolize a ship - a living milestone to increase the strength of the fishermen. Wherever our sea and islands go, our national flag goes there," Son confided.

Save your friend like saving yourself

Risks and accidents at sea are always lurking and can happen to fishermen at any time. In such situations, in addition to the border guards, each fisherman and each ship are the fastest and most effective rescue force and means. Along the seas through the districts, it is difficult to count all the exemplary and typical examples of helping each other when disasters occur. In more than 10 years at sea, Nguyen Phuc Son's ship has saved 9 other ships that were in accidents at sea. The most memorable memory is the time when Son jumped into the water with his fellow sailors to save Tran Van Minh's ship when it was in trouble in the Bach Long Vy sea area.

Talking about this action, Mr. Son recalled: On the 25th of Tet 2013, Mr. Tran Van Minh's fishing boat (from the same Quynh Phuong ward) was hit by the cargo ship Binh Minh (Hai Phong), causing the boat to be punctured and water to enter. At that time, Mr. Son's boat was about 30 nautical miles away. After receiving the news via radio, he decided to pull up the net and run down to help. "When we got closer, I saw that the boat was punctured and a lot of water was entering, so I immediately jumped into the sea, and together with my brothers, pulled a tarp over the bow of the boat and forced the boat back. If our boat had not been rescued in time, Mr. Minh's boat would have certainly sunk. When I saved my friend's boat, I didn't think about repaying him because everyone who goes to sea has had an accident at some point. Therefore, saving my friend was like saving myself," Mr. Son shared.

In 2014, a fishing boat of Thanh Hoa fishermen while fishing near Mat Island suddenly stalled and sank. Upon receiving the news, Mr. Phung Ba Thu, residing in Block 9, Nghi Thuy Ward (Cua Lo Town) called the workers on the boat to take two boats to Mat Island to rescue people. After more than two hours at sea, Mr. Thu's boat approached and together with the border guards rescued all the fishermen safely onto the boat. To salvage the boat, Mr. Thu's two fishing boats used winches to pull it up and tow it back to shore. Mr. Thu said: After struggling in the water for almost a day, the boat was salvaged and towed to shore. At that time, I only hoped to save people and the boat and didn't think about anything else. Later, the owner of the boat that had an accident came to thank him, but all the seafarers understand that accidents are inevitable, so mutual assistance is necessary and anyone in that situation would do the same. It is understandable that for fishermen, helping each other is a matter of responsibility. The sea is often indifferent but fishermen cannot be like that and that is also a way for fishermen to confidently go out to sea.

With the aim of encouraging and motivating fishermen to go out to sea to exploit, actively participating in protecting the sovereignty and security of the sea and islands of the Fatherland, the Border Guard Command organized the program "For the ships going out to sea". The program carries the message of love for the Fatherland on the journey to the sea and islands of Vietnam, from the silent sacrifices of soldiers on remote islands, the border guards who bravely protected the sovereignty of the sea and islands, rescued people in distress; to the brave fishermen who are full of patriotism, bravely asserting the sovereignty of the Fatherland by working hard, persistently staying at sea... Among the 15 fishermen who received gifts from the Border Guard Command of Nghe An province in 2014, all have made certain contributions along with the border guards and local authorities to continue to maintain the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. When going out to sea, each fisherman and each ship is a sacred sovereignty milestone to remind the international community that the Vietnamese people have a sacred love for every inch of land and wave and are determined not to retreat before any enemy to protect the integrity of the territory forever.

Pham Bang