The naval forces of the central region have discovered many foreign boats catching fish in the sea of Ly Son Island, Quang Ngai province.

Quang Ngai border guards have combined with neighbouring provinces and naval forces to patrol the area and drive away foreign boats that are invading Vietnamese waters.

Since early May, many fishermen have seen foreign ships in Vietnamese territorial waters.

On May 5, two fishermen saw ships with Chinese pennants on the way from Hoang Sa archipelago to Ly Son island. One day later, the navy detected several groups of strange boats, including 3-5 ships/group catching fish around 40-60 nautical miles from Ly Son island. Captain Tran Van Tho personally counted 5-6 ships with Chinese pennants near Ly Son island on May 11 and one on May 12.

Fishermen presumed that China’s fishing ban was about to take effect (May 16), so the ships had the Vietnamese territorial waters.

Chu Tien Vinh, vice-chief of the General Department of Seacooking, responded that foreign ships illegally catching fish in Vietnamese waters has been reported for years, and all Vietnam can do is to drive them away.

Related to China’s ban of fishing from May 16 to August 1, Tran Cao Muu, secretary general of the Vietnam Fishery Association, advised fishermen not to worry. “We still encourage fishing in the seas of Vietnam, including the water around Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos,” Muu observed.

Source: VNE