The flag, a landmark in the middle of the ocean.
In Quynh Lap commune (Hoang Mai town), fishing is a traditional occupation passed down through many generations; the fishing industry is closely tied to the tides and the moon, so village and Party activities are also flexible according to each fishing trip. From this reality, the Fishermen's Association Party Branch was established – becoming the political nucleus, bringing together fisherman Party members who venture out to sea, developing the economy while protecting the sovereignty of the homeland's seas and islands.
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Khanh Ly • March 30, 2025
In Quynh Lap commune (Hoang Mai town), fishing is a traditional occupation passed down through many generations; the fishing industry is closely tied to the tides and the moon, so village and Party activities are also flexible according to each fishing trip. From this reality, the Fishermen's Association Party Branch was established – becoming the political nucleus, bringing together fisherman Party members who venture out to sea, developing the economy while protecting the sovereignty of the homeland's seas and islands.
Party activities during the "lunar" period
Visiting Quynh Lap commune on a calm day, long lines of boats were anchored closely together at the pier, resting under the moonlight. Having just returned from a long sea voyage, Mr. Phan Van Hai - Secretary of the Fisheries Association Party Branch - was busy preparing the agenda for the branch's regular meeting.
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Speaking to us on the boat with the national flag fluttering in the wind, the man with a kind face and sun-tanned skin, typical of a fisherman from the coastal region, said: "The Fishery Association Party Branch is a unique grassroots party organization with 100% of its members being fishermen who regularly go out to sea to exploit marine resources in different fishing grounds (on average, they spend 15-20 days at sea each month)."
To maintain discipline and ensure full participation of party members, the Party Branch usually chooses its meeting day during the "lunar break" (this is the time when fishermen's boats usually anchor ashore because the bright moon makes fishing impossible). The meeting usually takes place in the meeting room of the Commune People's Committee.
In addition, depending on the situation, the Party Committee also flexibly organizes meetings in person combined with online meetings via telephone and Zalo for some Party members fishing in distant waters who have not yet returned. In special or unexpected cases, the contents that need to be disseminated to Party members will be announced via walkie-talkie.
Despite holding its meetings during the "lunar break," the Party Branch fully implemented all prescribed activities: assessing the local situation and the Branch's performance during the month; disseminating the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws and regulations; and especially monitoring the ideological situation of Party members and discussing policies directly related to the lives of fishermen.
"Due to the unique nature of the fishing profession, fisherman party members have limited access to current events, so it requires Party committees to be proactive and sensitive in grasping the situation to promptly update and provide complete information to Party members. The way of conveying and expressing information must also be concise, easy to understand, and include viewpoints and opinions on issues of public concern to guide Party members," emphasized Phan Van Hai, Secretary of the Party Branch.
Also at the boat mooring area, we met Mr. Tran Dinh Hanh (born in 1978) - the owner of the NA 92868 boat, with a capacity of 680 HP, a Party member active in the Fisheries Association Party Branch. He happily shared: "I am honored to have been admitted to the Party in 2010, and I am the only Party member on a fishing boat with 10 workers."
Previously, I, like other fisherman party members, participated in village party branches. However, we were often absent from many meetings due to long fishing trips in distant waters, and although the Party committee facilitated our absence, this actually affected the quality of meetings, the discipline of the branch, and the behavior of other party members.
Since the establishment of the Fisheries Association Party Branch, Party activities have been scheduled according to the lunar cycle, creating conditions for Party members like me to participate more fully. In unavoidable circumstances, we can participate in online meetings with content relevant to production and exploitation at sea, so Party members are all enthusiastic to participate in discussions and contribute ideas…”.
According to the leaders of Quynh Lap commune, the local Fisheries Association was established in 2008 with approximately 170 members, mainly boat owners, with the aim of bringing together individuals and organizations operating in the fields of aquaculture, exploitation, processing, consumption, and logistics of the fishing industry to support and assist each other in offshore fishing, production, business, and services. Many members of the Fisheries Association are fishermen who are Party members active in village and hamlet Party branches.
However, in reality, the management of Party members, the organization of activities of Party branches, the participation of Party members in activities, as well as the mobilization and dissemination of the Party's guidelines and policies, the laws of the State, and the work of identifying, training, and admitting fishermen into the Party... face many difficulties and shortcomings because Party members in the fishing industry spend at least 15 days at sea each month.
Arising from practical needs and fulfilling the aspirations of fisherman party members, the Fishery Association Party Branch was established with 15 party members according to Decision No. 45-QD/DU dated July 21, 2021, of the Party Committee of Quynh Lap Commune. This is the first pilot party branch model in Nghe An province.The Party branch is specifically designated for Party members directly involved in long-term fishing trips at sea, with the expectation that it will not only be a pioneering force but also a connecting factor for fishermen in the harsh conditions of the sea, jointly developing the economy and protecting the sovereignty of the Fatherland's maritime territories and islands.
According to Vuong Dai Tuong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Quynh Lap commune, the establishment of the Fishery Association Party Branch helps fishermen who are Party members to access and better disseminate the Party's guidelines, policies, and laws of the State; strengthen solidarity and mutual support in fishing, search and rescue, and protecting national sovereignty.
At the same time, conditions were created to enable rural Party branches to proactively hold regular meetings as prescribed by the Party, overcoming the situation where Party members were absent from many meetings due to going to sea. To support the Party branch's activities, the Standing Committee of the Quynh Lap Party Committee assigned comrades Le Ba Van - Member of the Standing Committee, Chairman of the Fatherland Front; and Truong Cong Vu - Member of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the Farmers' Association, to be in charge of the Fisheries Association Party Branch.
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Initially, there were some concerns, but since its establishment, the Fisheries Association Party Branch has maintained a regular monthly meeting schedule, adapted to the characteristics and conditions of fishing and exploitation at sea.
The Party Committee and branch also paid attention to and cared for the training and development of new Party members. From the initial 15 Party members, the branch has now admitted 3 new members, bringing the total number of Party members to 17. Of these, 8 are ship owners and 5 are captains.
According to the Party Committee of the Fisheries Association, Party development among its members faces difficulties due to the unique characteristics of the fishing community, where fishermen often drop out of school early and have limited levels of awareness. Some outstanding individuals are unable to complete all Party orientation courses, attending only two-thirds of the time before requesting study materials and submitting assignments later due to their need to go out to sea. Furthermore, the Party branch lacks a mass organization, so when recommending outstanding individuals, it must coordinate with the Fisheries Association and the Party committees of the villages.
To overcome these difficulties, the Fishermen's Association Party Branch has intensified its propaganda and mobilization efforts, helping the fishermen—who are accustomed to living and working in the fields—to clearly understand their rights and responsibilities when joining the Party.
At the same time, party members in the branch also upheld the spirit of pioneering and exemplary conduct so that the fishermen's association members could see the good and positive aspects of becoming party members.
In addition, the Party Committee of the Fisheries Association regularly maintains contact with the Party Committee in the residential area to keep abreast of the local situation and coordinate in the work of cultivating outstanding individuals to create a pool of potential Party members. The Party Committee also requires Party members to set a good example in fulfilling their obligations to the State and the locality, and not to neglect the movements and activities in their residential area.
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Thanks to this, since its establishment, the Party branch has nurtured and enlightened young fishermen to join the Party. A typical example is Comrade Le Ba Tien (born in 2003), with his proactive and volunteer spirit, actively participating in activities of the Fisheries Association Party branch and the local area. He was nurtured and admitted to the Party by the Fisheries Association Party branch in September 2024.
For young fishermen like Tien, it is an honor and a source of pride, as well as a motivation for young Party members to strive to become pioneering, exemplary "leaders," centers of unity in the open sea.
Resolution based on reality
Evaluating the quality of the Fisheries Association Party Branch's activities, Comrade Ho Canh Thuan - Secretary of the Party Committee of Quynh Lap commune - said: Although there are still some difficulties related to studying Party resolutions, the Fisheries Association Party Branch members cannot fully participate, or some tasks assigned by the Party Committee are implemented slower than those of village and hamlet Party branches... However, in the past period, the Fisheries Association Party Branch of the commune has fulfilled its functions and duties as a grassroots Party organization, helping Party members who are fishermen and crew members to fully participate in Party activities.
The Party branch also serves as a "bridge" between the Party committee, the government, and the fishermen. In particular, the Party branch closely follows practical realities to issue and implement resolutions effectively, simultaneously developing the marine economy and actively protecting the sovereignty of the nation's maritime borders and islands.
Accordingly, the Resolution of the Fisheries Association Party Branch aims at five specific goals: doing a good job in Party development; participating in search and rescue operations at sea; sharing fishing grounds; observing and collecting evidence of foreign fishing vessels violating sovereignty and reporting promptly to the authorities; and raising the awareness and responsibility of fishermen in protecting the marine environment.
With the motto "The Party branch is the leading force, Party members are the core" for fishermen and fellow fishermen to emulate, after more than 3 years of operation, the Party branch of the Quynh Lap Fisheries Association has actively propagated to fishing vessels in the area not to engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and has effectively implemented the Fisheries Law, the Vietnam Border Guard Law, and the National Border Law.
At the same time, in coordination with the authorities, they encouraged ship owners to establish 8 cooperatives and 36 mutual aid groups to help each other in seafood exploitation and finding new fishing grounds. In particular, the Party branch's policy of sharing fishing grounds was welcomed and supported by fisherman Party members and a large number of members of the fisheries association.
Regarding this policy, Phan Van Hai, Secretary of the Fisheries Association Party Branch (who also owns 7 fishing vessels with a capacity of 600 horsepower and more than 40 workers, with an average income of 12-20 million VND/person/month), said: "Previously, everyone worked independently, but now, during offshore fishing, if a good fishing area is discovered, the boats will proactively inform each other via radio to fish together."
Sharing fishing grounds demonstrates the spirit of solidarity, close ties, and mutual support among Party members and members of the fishing association. Thanks to this, the campaign to encourage fishermen to venture out to sea has been successfully implemented, thereby leveraging the local strengths and contributing to maintaining the annual fishing output of Quynh Lap coastal commune at over 30,000 tons.
During fishing operations in the Hoang Sa fishing grounds, the fishing vessels of Party members from the Fisheries Association branch always uphold the awareness of protecting the sovereignty of the homeland's sea and islands; proactively detecting and filming foreign fishing vessels infringing on Vietnam's territorial waters to promptly provide information to the Border Guard and Coast Guard forces (in the two years 2023-2024, the vessels of Party members in the branch detected 16 instances of foreign vessels violating sovereignty and reported them to the authorities).
The Party branch also mobilized 31 members and fishermen to join the maritime militia platoon with 3 fleets of boats; and 3 self-governing groups to ensure security and safety at sea.
Understanding the hardships, difficulties, and dangers faced by fishing boats venturing out to sea when encountering rough seas and strong winds, the Fishery Association Party Branch has always paid special attention to rescue and relief work, and supporting fellow fishermen at sea. Over the past three years, fishing boats belonging to fisherman Party members of the Quynh Lap Fishery Association Party Branch have towed two sunken fishing boats in Quynh Phuong and Quynh Tien safely ashore; and assisted three households affected by landslides caused by storms.
Furthermore, to curb the habit of dumping garbage from boats into the sea, which negatively impacts the marine environment, threatens ecosystems, and reduces marine resources, the Party Branch of the Fisheries Association in Quynh Lap commune has actively taken the lead in implementing measures. They have also encouraged fishing boat owners not to throw garbage into the sea but to sort and collect it, bringing it ashore. As a result, fishermen in the commune sort and collect 70-80 tons of plastic waste, cans, etc., annually, contributing to the protection of the marine environment.
Speaking at the conference summarizing the pilot establishment of the Fisheries Association Party Branch, Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council - emphasized: The Quynh Lap Fisheries Association Party Branch must become a spiritual support for fishermen venturing out to sea, actively supporting each other in exploitation and fishing, assisting in avoiding and sheltering from storms, and in search and rescue operations. Cadres and Party members must uphold the spirit of building and overcoming difficulties to make the Party branch increasingly strong.
That is also the goal that the Fisheries Association Party Branch has been striving towards, so that "each party member is a flag, each boat is a living landmark" at sea...
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