VietNamNet Bridge – A businessman in HCM City has decided to buy two helicopters and 100 vessels worth trillions of dong to go fishing in the Hoang Sa archipelago.

Pham Ngoc Lam, chair of Duc Khai JSC, a big HCM City-based real estate and import-export company, has revealed an unprecedented daring business strategy to develop a fleet, including helicopters and vessels, which will travel to the open sea fishing area and protect Vietnamese sovereignty.

Lam said he was indignant at China’s illegal acts of deploying an oil rig in the Vietnamese territorial waters and ramming Vietnamese fishing boats. So he decided that he needed to do something to help farmers hold out in the open sea to exploit natural resources.

Lam decided to order 100 South Korean, Japanese and Australian made vessels which have a capacity of 500-1,500 horsepower to travel to the sea. They are solid and powerful enough to allow fishermen to do their work.

The plan has immediately received strong support from the Communist Party and the State’s leaders, as well as from all shareholders of Duc Khai.

Duc Khai has ordered 45 fishing boats made in South Korea, which are expected to arrive in Vietnam in August 2014.

The other 55 boats will come from Japan and Australia soon, so that they can be put into operation by early 2015.

Also according to Lam, 95 out of the 100 fishing boats with a capacity of 500-1,500 horsepower and modern equipment will be used at five big fishing grounds in Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh and Khanh Hoa belonging to Hoang Sa territorial waters.

Meanwhile, the other five will be used to supply food and fuel to the fishing boats and carry the exploited fish to the mainland.

Duc Khai is now negotiating with European partners on the purchase of two helicopters, estimated to cost VND60 billion, which would serve as rescue vessels for the fishing boats on the sea.

The two helicopters will be put under the state’s management.

“I am so glad that my business plan has been supported by the government. Japanese partners have committed to be responsible for providing us outlets for our aquatic products,” he said.

However, Lam and Duc Khai Company have been warned that they would meet big difficulties when implementing the business plan.

An analyst commented that the plan, if implemented, can help protect the Vietnamese territorial waters and generate thousands of jobs.

However, he is sure that Duc Khai will take loss with the plan, especially when the Chinese vessels regularly carry out provocative acts to hinder the fishing.

Meanwhile, the managing director of a tourism firm which provides aviation services, warned Duc Khai that it will have to follow many administrative procedures to register the helicopters.

The same complicated procedures will also be required to register the vessels. Duc Hai will also have to prove that the vessels can meet requirements on marine safety, working staff and environment.

Dat Viet