The Vietnam Coast Guard does well in propaganda, education, and enhancement of patriotism and national pride among fishermen. 

Implementing the Resolution of the Central Military Commission on "Strengthening and renewing the military mass mobilization work in the new situation", since 2017 the Vietnam Coast Guard has carried out a number of mass mobilization models, including the program "The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen" in the island communes and districts. The model aims to support fishermen in safe and legal fishing activities and participate in protecting the sovereignty of the country’s sea and islands; building political bases, socio-economic development, building strong island communes and districts. 

The propaganda, dissemination and education of law for fishermen and people in the island communes and districts is the top priority in implementing the model “The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen”.

The High Command of Vietnam Coast Guard Region 1 presents the national flags to fishermen at Bach Long Vi ship lock.

Propaganda content focused on: Propaganda of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; Vietnam’s Law of the Sea 2012; the Law of the Sea of countries having water areas bordering Vietnam; Vietnam’s Fisheries Law; the Ordinance on Vietnam Coast Guard; the Law on Drug-related Crime Prevention; the Environment Law; Propaganda for fishermen not to enter foreign waters for seafood catching; Propaganda for fishermen the policies of the Party and State to encourage and motivate them to go to sea for fishing and to settle down on islands.

Vietnam has more than 1 million square kilometers of water areas, which is potential for fishing and oil and gas exploration and also a significant transport route. In order to get rich from the sea, we must explore the sea and especially protect and organize fishing activities of fishermen. In the past few years, fishing activities in the Hoang Sa traditional fishing ground has been more difficult. Many Vietnamese fishing boats were robbed by foreign ships; their fishing gears were damaged and Vietnamese fishermen were even arrested. Thanks to the Coast Guard force’s dissemination of information and knowledge on the landmark and offshore fishing, fishermen relatives have become more aware of legal offshore fishing and protecting the national sovereignty over the country’s sea and islands. The Vietnam Coast Guard’s joined activities with fishermen in island districts have helped fishermen feel more secure in fishing activities in the two traditional fishing grounds of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

In addition to propagating the law and necessary information, every day, the Vietnam Coast Guard regularly has ships and canoes patrolling around offshore islands and Vietnam’s water areas to maintain law enforcement, protect security and sovereignty over sea and islands in the territorial waters of the country, especially in contiguous or disputed waters between Vietnam and other countries to guide and propagandize for fishermen not to violate foreign waters, restricting damage and impacts on the foreign affairs of the Party and State.

Propaganda form is conducted flexibly, diversely, vividly, truthfully and effectively, such as: direct propaganda through the activities of the team of reporters; distributing leaflets, slogans, banners; sending propaganda groups and teams according to their tasks; broadcasting propaganda contents via loudspeakers on vessels performing sea missions ... Especially, the Vietnam Coast Guard successfully organized a painting and contests with the theme "I love Vietnam’s sea and islands" for primary, secondary and high school students in island communes and districts of the island. This is one of the contents of the program “The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen” that left good impression on participants. Through competitions, students understand more deeply about Vietnam’s sovereignty of the sea and islands, about the functions of the Vietnam Coast Guard, then have a profound educational effect on the students.

Through propaganda, the spirit of patriotism, national pride, the sense of struggle to protect the sovereignty of the country’s sacred seas and islands of the people and fishermen has been raised; at the same time building a sense of responsibility for fishermen to fight wrong and negative phenomena on the sea and islands such as: violating regulations on order and safety at sea; trade in prohibited goods; tax evasion; illegal fishing in foreign waters; fishing with destructive methods, using chemicals in fishing which affects aquatic resources and damages the marine ecological environment; through propaganda to help people in the island communes and districts and fishermen have more useful information about the situation of the sea and islands.

After nearly 3 years implementing the model "The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen", the Vietnam Coast Guard has performed very well the propaganda, education, improvement of patriotism, national pride, the sense of protecting sovereignty of sea and islands for fishermen in the island communes and districts of the country. The model "The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen" has contributed to creating the high consensus, the active support of the local party committees, local authorities and fishermen in registering ships, civil forces and means that participate in protecting sovereignty and sovereignty over the waters and islands of the country.

Actively renovating content and form of implementation in the coming time

Major General Doan Bao Quyet, Deputy Political Commissar of the Vietnam Coast Guard, said: “Identified as a typical model of the Vietnam Coast Guard, this program has brought about remarkable results. Under this program, propaganda and education activities have been organized to help people in island communes, districts and coastal districts understand the Party and State's guidelines, policies and laws, better understand the Law of the Sea of Vietnam, and improve the sense of responsibility in protecting the country’s sovereignty of sea and islands. This model also contributes to improve the quality of the construction of the new rural model in island communes and districts.”

Present gifts to fishermen in difficult circumstances.

Since the model was launched, the High Command of the Vietnam Coast Guard has mobilized nearly VND10 billion from businesses to support fishermen in disadvantaged island communes and districts, build public works, organize cultural activities, environmental sanitation programs, assist party cells and authorities in island communes and districts. These activities have contributed to strengthening solidarity and attachment between the army and people, making fishermen assured to go to the sea for fishing. 

After nearly three years of implementation, the model has been highly appreciated by central agencies, the Ministry of Defense, local authorities and the people. Based on the initial success, the High Command of the Vietnam Coast Guard has reported to the Ministry of Defense and upgraded from the model to the program "The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen" in order to enhance the effectiveness of the program.

Coast guards and fishermen clean the beach of Can Gio.

The Vietnam Coast Guard has actively renewed the contents and forms in implementing the program “The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen” in accordance with the functions, tasks and characteristics of the regional High Command of Coast Guard; Attached importance to the propaganda and dissemination of laws so that fishermen do not encroach on foreign waters for fishing, and strictly abide by the Vietnamese and international laws; Flexibly used propaganda methods such as the operation of volunteers, communicators, mass mobilization groups, combined duties at sea with the distribution of leaflets, guide and help fishermen, signing cooperation progrms with local agencies, socio-political organizations, organizing contests with the theme "I love Vietnam’s sea and islands" at junior schools in the localities where the “The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen” model is carried out. 

The Vietnam Coast Guard has also closely coordinated with local party committees and local authorities, mobilized and taken advantage of the long-term companionship and strong relationships with enterprises, socio-political organizations, unions and individuals to perform well social security tasks. By the end of 2019, the Vietnam Coast Guard signed cooperation programs with 11 coastal provinces and cities to implement the model. It is expected that in 2020, the Vietnam Coast Guard will ink similar programs with 12 other provinces and cities. 

Huyen Sam