The dynamic captain in the coastal town of Cua Lo.

LEADING THE WAY IN BUILDING LARGE SHIPS TO EXPLORE AND MAINTAIN A STRONG MARITIME CONNECTION

In Nghi Thuy fishing village, the story and name most frequently mentioned by the locals is that of Phung Ba Thu, the captain, Chairman of the Fisheries Association, and Commander of the Nghi Thuy Ward Sea Militia Platoon. He was a pioneer in building large ships, transforming the fishing industry, venturing out to sea, and contributing to making Cua Lo the leading locality in the province in terms of seafood catch, as well as contributing to the protection of maritime sovereignty.

Born in 1974 into a fisherman's family in Nghi Thuy fishing village (Cua Lo) - a locality with a traditional fishing and seafood processing industry - Thu's childhood, apart from attending school, was spent on the water. Like many young men from coastal villages, after finishing high school, Phung Ba Thu followed his father to sea. At that time, small boats made fishing very difficult, and marine resources were depleted due to overfishing in the nearshore areas, with some even using explosives to catch seafood.

Despite his young age, Mr. Thu quickly realized that using explosives not only destroyed the environment and depleted marine life but also violated the law and endangered lives. Therefore, when the Party Committee and the Nghi Thuy ward government urged fishermen not to use explosives for fishing, he persuaded relatives and friends to contribute capital to convert their small, inefficient boats used for near-shore fishing to larger, 400-horsepower vessels for offshore fishing. With the larger vessel, he created jobs for 20 crew members with an average income of 150-200 million VND per person per year, and also provided employment for dozens of people in supporting the fishing industry. His successful production model has led to 50 boats using gillnets switching to trawling.

Not stopping there, after 5 years of highly efficient production, the lives of the crew members became increasingly stable and prosperous, and they accumulated capital. He clearly understood that to catch high-value seafood, they needed to venture further out to sea with large vessels, which was also a way to participate in protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands. Once again, he mobilized and persuaded the crew members to continue contributing capital to build two new vessels with a capacity of 820 horsepower each, costing over 12 billion VND. Since building the new vessels, the annual catch has been high, with average income for workers ranging from 200 to 300 million VND per person per year, and those working in fisheries logistics earning 70 to 90 million VND per person per year.

Thanks to the pioneering efforts of Mr. Phung Ba Thu in building large-capacity fishing vessels for offshore fishing, along with the propaganda and mobilization of the Party committee, government, and political organizations, many boat owners have built large vessels to switch professions, venture further offshore, and exploit resources effectively. To date, Nghi Thuy ward has 42 large-capacity vessels, each over 20 meters long, with an annual catch of over 13,000 tons; in the first six months of 2023, it achieved 10,000 tons, making it the leading locality in the province in terms of production.

ROLE MODEL, LEADING THE WAY IN EVERY MOVEMENT

Not only was he a pioneer and skilled in mobilizing fishermen to build larger vessels and transition to other professions, fisherman Phung Ba Thu also successfully persuaded nearly 100 boat owners to join the establishment of the Fisheries Association. This association served to disseminate the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws to fishermen, and also conveyed the fishermen's concerns and aspirations to the government. At the first term (2022-2025) of the Fisheries Association, he was elected to the Executive Committee and served as the Chairman of the Nghi Thuy Ward Fisheries Association.

In accordance with the Party and State's policy on building a maritime militia force, the Nghe An Provincial Military Command issued a decision to establish a maritime militia platoon to protect maritime sovereignty and islands. Thu mobilized 6 ship owners with 31 members to join the platoon, and he was entrusted with the responsibility of being the platoon leader of the maritime militia platoon.

In fulfilling his responsibilities, he and the members actively participated in military training, political education, legal dissemination, and drills mobilizing civilian vessels to defend the sovereignty of the seas and islands of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam according to Government Decrees 30 and 130. They provided information on the fishing activities of fishermen and the illegal intrusion of foreign vessels into our waters, reporting to the Ward Military Command, relevant agencies, and the Cua Lo - Ben Thuy Port Border Guard Station to develop countermeasures. Furthermore, he consistently showed concern for and mobilized fishing vessels in the Association to rescue and search for distressed vessels and missing persons at sea.

Not only does he surf the waves to develop the economy and participate in protecting maritime sovereignty and islands, but in village affairs, family matters, and social activities, Phung Ba Thu always demonstrates himself as a son who values ​​filial piety and loyalty.

As a member of the Yen Luong Temple Relic Management Board, he annually mobilizes more than 60 boats to participate in the Fishing Festival and the sea parade of the Mai Bang Temple and Yen Luong Temple Festivals. He often initiates, participates in, and organizes cultural and sports activities during fishing holidays, such as friendly football matches between fishing boat teams, creating a movement for sports training among members. In addition, he has donated tens of millions of VND to help areas affected by natural disasters, storms, and floods, and families in difficult circumstances, providing support and gifts in various programs."Spring of Love" "Warm Winter"for children in mountainous regions.

For his highly meaningful contributions, Mr. Phung Ba Thu was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province for being an outstanding household in production and business at the provincial level for the period 2016-2021, and received numerous Certificates of Merit and Commendations from various organizations and authorities at all levels. At the recent Congress of the Cua Lo Town Farmers' Association for the 2023-2028 term, held in June 2023, he was honored to be elected to the Executive Committee of the Cua Lo Town Farmers' Association, 6th term.