Nearly 500 fishermen from the Mekong Delta’s Ca Mau Province are in custody overseas after entering the waters of neighboring nations, according to an official report released Saturday.

The province has given local fishermen maps to help prevent such incidents in the future.

Earlier this month, Vietnam’s naval chief Nguyen Van Hien asked that all its fishermen who enter foreign or disputed waters unintentionally or to seek shelter be treated humanely in reciprocation for what the country has done for its neighbors.

Hien expressed his concern and appeal following China’s mistreatment of Vietnamese fishermen who sought shelter from Typhoon Ketsana in September.

The sailors said they had been attacked and robbed by Chinese forces, an act Hien said was contrary to the spirit of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre