To avoid conflicts on the East Sea, fishermen should catch fish in fishing grounds belonging to Vietnam and go in groups, said Top-ranking General Le Van Dung, Chairman of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army.

Top-ranking General Le Van Dung.

Set your mind at rest, fishermen!

Support fishermen on East Sea, government urges

Vietnam asks China not to obstruct fishermen’s normal fishing

Fishing ground off limits, fishing boats stay in port

Can Vietnamese fishermen feel safe catching fish in Vietnamese waters? How are our security guard forces there?

Still good and sufficient. Boats that were arrested didn’t realise whether they were in our sea area or not. Vietnamese fishermen are still safe in the stable area around the Truong Sa Islands or the area around our oil and gas exploration zones. Sea areas which have oil rigs belong to Vietnam’s sovereignty.

What should we do to protect our fishermen in the long run?

Related sides have to sit together to clearly define the sea border to facilitate fish-catching activities and so the navy can protect the fishing ground.

We are encouraging fishermen to catch fish in areas which belong to Vietnam, not in the areas of conflict.

From this case, how should we advise our fishermen?

Vietnam shares a narrow sea area with Thailand and Cambodia. Without good navigation, our fishermen can enter the sea areas of other countries. If they are arrested in this case, we have to solve the problem through diplomatic channels.

For areas that are clear regarding sovereignty, for example the area around the Truong Sa Islands, what are we doing to protect fishermen?

The naval forces still patrol the sea area of Vietnam’s sovereignty to prevent strange or foreign boats from entering our sea. They also protect Vietnamese fishermen who do catching on the sea around the Truong Sa Islands and islands under Vietnam’s control.

We have to advise offshore fishermen to keep in contact with each other to become strong groups of boats to protect themselves against attacks from foreign boats, including those of the Philippines or Malaysia, not only China.

This recommendation is for fishermen’s safety.

Vietnam and China has finished land demarcation and the border line in the Tonkin Gulf. Vietnam, China and some related countries will continue to define the sea border.

How about rescue activities on the sea?

Fishermen sending SOS signals will be rescued by ships of the national rescue forces, the navy, and border guard forces.

If Vietnamese fishermen are chased by foreign boats on Vietnam’s sea area, what will we do?

If they discover strange boats, fishermen have to report to the military. We also have a fleet to rescue boats in distress and patrol Vietnam’s territories.

If foreign boats blatantly encroach into our sea area, how will we react?

To protect our sea, the Vietnamese navy will drive them away. However, the situation is not so tense.

Noted by Ngoc Le