Implementing the Resolution of the Central Military Commission on "Strengthening and renewing military mass mobilization in the new situation", since early 2017, the Vietnam Coast Guard has deployed a mass mobilization model called "The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen" in island communes and districts that are far from the mainland. The model aims to support fishermen to practice fishing acitivities in safe and lawful ways and participate in protecting the country’s sovereignty over sea and islands.

This model of mass mobilization aims at renewing the contents and forms, improving the quality and efficiency of the mass mobilization work of the Coast Guard forces in the new situation; taking part in building political base, socio-economic development and building strong island communes and districts.

Propagation and dissemination of legal knowledge for fishermen and people in island communes and districts is the most important content in implementing this model.

Accordingly, the content of propaganda focuses on: the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea; the Law of the Sea of Vietnam 2012; the Law of the Sea of countries in the region with waters adjacent to Vietnam; the Fisheries Law; the Law on the Vietnam Coast Guard; the Law on Prevention of Drug Crimes; the Environment Law; telling fishermen not to violate foreign waters for fishing; popularizing the Party and State's policies to encourage people to go to the sea for fishing and stabilize their life on the country’s islands.

Vietnam has the waters covering more than 1 million square kilometers, with a lot of potentials, especially marine transportation. To explore potentials from the sea and to get rich from the sea, it is very important to protect Vietnamese fishermen while they go fishing in Vietnam’s waters. In recent years, fishing in the traditional fishing grounds of Hoang Sa has become more difficult. Some Vietnamese fishing boats were robbed or destroyed by foreign ships. Some fishing ships and fishermen were even arrested. Thanks to the coast guard forces’ mass mobilization programs, Vietnamese fishermen have become more aware of the legal fishing grounds and their contribution to protecting the country’s sovereignty over sea and islands. The Vietnam Coast Guard’s assistance to fishermen in island communes and districts have helped the fishermen feel more secure in fishing activities and settled permanently on the two traditional fishing grounds of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

Besides popularizing the law and necessary information to fishermen, the Vietnam Coast Guard assigns 15-20 boats to land at offshore islands and to patrol around Vietnam’s waters to inspect and maintain law enforcement, protect security and sovereignty over the country’s sea and islands, especially the adjacent waters, overlapping waters or the waters in dispute between Vietnam and other countries to guide and propagate fishermen not to violate foreign waters for fishing.

In the context when regional security has been volatile in recent years, thanks to the companion of the Vietnam Coast Guard, Vietnamese fishermen have been no longer alone when they set sail for fishing.

After nearly three years of implementation, the mass mobilization model "The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen" has brought about practical results. Mr. Le Viet Chu, Secretary of the Quang Ngai Provincial Party Committee, said the signing of the coordination program to carry out the campaign "The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen" between the Standing Committee of Quang Ngai Provincial Party Committee and the Standing Party Committee of the Vietnam Coast Guard is a practical activity, contributing to deepen the cooperation between the Vietnam Coast Guard and Quang Ngai province and local fishermen.

“In recent years, the Vietnam Coast Guard along with other forces have shared the hardship with fishermen, especially when fishermen faced natural disasters and distress at sea. The practical, effective, and responsible activities of the coast guard forces are the reliable prop for fishermen to set sail, cling to the sea for economic development, to defense the sacred sea and islands of the country,” Mr. Chu said.

Earlier, at an online conference to learn from the experience of the implementation of the mass mobilization model "The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen", Lieutenant General Hoang Van Dong affirmed: "The implementation of the model has contributed to building strong localities, to building a defense and security posture at sea.”

“The Vietnam Coast Guard is determined to continue this task on a regular and continuous basis. This is one of the political missions of the Coast Guard forces. It is important to enhance legal education for fishermen. Fishermen abiding by the law also contributes greatly to help the Coast Guard perform its duties well,” he said.

VietNamNet