Growing Up by the Sea | The Times

This is the story of Nguyen Duc Thanh, a model fisherman in My A fishing village, Pho Quang ward (Duc Pho town). He and his friends travel across the sea, especially to the traditional fishing grounds in Hoang Sa to catch seafood.

Visiting and encouraging officers, soldiers, and people in Truong Sa and the DK1 platform.

Coming to Truong Sa: Bringing love, receiving trust in return.

This is the story of Nguyen Duc Thanh, a model fisherman in My A fishing village, Pho Quang ward (Duc Pho town). He and his friends travel across the sea, especially to the traditional fishing grounds in Hoang Sa to catch seafood.

In May, the road to Pho Quang ward (Duc Pho town) was bathed in bright sunshine. At My A port, ships were busy refueling with fresh water, rice, fish sauce, and other supplies in preparation for the next fishing trip. Fisherman Nguyen Duc Thanh was checking the vessel tracking equipment on the deck of his ship. When I asked him about it, he smiled and said, "It's a calm season at sea. We have to take advantage of it!"

Persistently clinging to the sea

Fisherman Nguyen Duc Thanh, 51 years old, has 32 years of experience at sea. Initially, he followed his father to fish in the coastal waters of Ly Son. They would go out to sea in the evening, cast their nets at night, and return to shore the next morning. Despite his diligence and patience, fishing in the coastal waters yielded limited catches. It wasn't until 2008 that Thanh was able to buy his own 15-meter boat, expanding his fishing grounds from the waters of Quang Ngai to Da Nang . This fulfilled his dream of spending long days at sea.

Fisherman Nguyen Duc Thanh's boat is preparing to set sail.

Mr. Thanh recounted, "There were days when, while bringing the boat into Da Nang port to sell fish and refuel, I saw fishing boats returning from distant waters, the national flag fluttering on their boats, their holds full of fish. That stirred within me a burning desire to venture out to sea to catch seafood. That's why my wife and I saved up money to build a new boat. It wasn't until nine years later that I built a new 17-meter-long vessel, fully equipped with modern equipment to meet the demands of purse seine fishing in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands."

Mr. Thanh said that when going out to sea, if the weather is calm and the sea is still, there are many fish, making fishing easier. But if there are strong winds and fast-moving ocean currents, fishing becomes difficult. Therefore, he has to practice observing the sky, the clouds, and the water currents to predict the fish's movements. There were times when the fishing trips were unfavorable, and the fishermen in his group were discouraged and brought their boats back to shore, but he stayed a few days and then struck it rich.

Highly experienced

Offshore fishing trips often last nearly a month. At My A fishing port, after each long fishing trip, fisherman Nguyen Duc Thanh's boat is always full of fish. The fish bring joy to his face, and after each trip, he understands that to succeed at sea, one needs experience, perseverance, and especially the support of a united group of fishermen at sea in sharing fishing grounds, helping each other overcome difficulties when the boat breaks down or facing storms...

Fisherman Nguyen Duc Thanh has always persevered in his work at sea.

In the past, the My A sea area was heavily silted, blocking the estuary and waterways. Many ships, even during calm seasons, had to enter the Sa Huynh (Duc Pho town), Sa Ky ( Quang Ngai city), or Da Nang port to sell their catch and refuel. Later, the government invested tens of billions of dong to dredge the waterway and build the My A fishing port, facilitating the entry and exit of fishing vessels. As time passed, the My A sea area has become a shining example of maritime development in Quang Ngai. Fisherman Nguyen Duc Thanh and his crew remain steadfast at sea. The Hoang Sa archipelago will forever be the safe haven for Mr. Thanh and the fishermen of My A fishing village.

When the State implemented measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, contributing to the removal of the "yellow card" on Vietnamese fisheries, fisherman Nguyen Duc Thanh understood that if Vietnamese seafood penetrated the European market, the fishing industry would develop and fishing efficiency would increase. Therefore, he placed even greater trust in the State's policy and strictly adhered to the law when fishing at sea. "My boat doesn't fish in foreign waters. The vessel's tracking device is always on so that authorities can monitor and strictly enforce the traceability of seafood. When out at sea, I often remind my fellow fishermen to strictly comply with the regulations against IUU fishing," Thanh said.

Fisherman Nguyen Duc Thanh's fishing boat docked at My A port after a long fishing trip.

Mr. Thanh is beloved by the fishermen not only for his courage but also for his kindness and loyalty to his fellow fishermen. He actively contributes money to the construction of the fishing village and to the local Fishermen's Support Fund to help fishermen whose boats are in distress at sea. The head of My A fishing village, Nguyen Xet, commented that Mr. Nguyen Duc Thanh is a successful businessman. Regardless of the circumstances, he always perseveres in fishing to develop the economy while contributing to the protection of the nation's maritime sovereignty . He is a shining example for young fishermen to follow.

Trees from Binh Dinh province are being sent to Truong Sa.

On April 25th, in Cat Hanh Commune (Phu Cat District, Binh Dinh Province), the Command of Naval Region 4 received 15,000 coconut seedlings and 300kg of Patox 4GR, donated by the People's Committee of Binh Dinh Province for the "Greening Truong Sa" program.

70 overseas Vietnamese visit Truong Sa and the DK-I platform to commemorate the 49th anniversary of national reunification.

On the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the reunification of the Fatherland (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2024) and the liberation of the Truong Sa archipelago (April 29, 1975), and the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Navy (May 7, 1955), the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (NVNONN) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Naval Command, organized a delegation of overseas Vietnamese to visit and encourage officers, soldiers, and people in Truong Sa Island District and the DK-I platform within the framework of Working Group No. 11.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/lon-len-tu-bien-200355.html