Editor’s note: In this entry submitted to the “Ky Vong Viet Nam 20 Nam Toi” (“My Expectations for Vietnam in 20 Years”) writing contest, Hoang Van Tien Phuong, a 25-year-old contestant from the southern province of Binh Duong, shares his hope that local fishermen’s sustainable livelihood and professional dedication would be ensured and cherished in the two decades to come.

>> An audio version of the story is available here

Based on policies and strategies regarding national marine economic growth, I hope that in the next 20 years, the state and society would ensure a sustainable livelihood for fishermen so that they would stay dedicated to their job.

The assurance is not only about poverty eradication, stabilizing fishermen’s life, and spurring economic growth, but it is also about ensuring national defense and safeguarding the country’s sovereignty over its seas, islands and borders.

Inadequate investment

These days, as the world resonates with a mutual message of peace and independence, many Vietnamese people have ached at the repeated attacks targeting fishermen’s boats which were fishing for aquatic products in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa waters, with damage amounting to billions of dong.

Vietnamese fishermen’s means of living and the country’s national sea sovereignty are increasingly threatened.

Our country is currently in its global integration process, with the world tending to “feed the mainland based on seas.” In that context, recognizing a “marine Vietnam” and its stature in the country’s economic development strategies presents a new, comprehensive outlook on the nation’s “economic portrait.”

However, it’s evident that fishermen’s livelihood is yet to receive the attention and investment it deserves, compared to the vast potential and huge profits that the marine economy has contributed to the national economy.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam was home to 117,998 fishing vessels as of 2013. However, the vessel fleet remains rudimentary, as up to 99 percent of them are built from wood.

Between 85 and 90 percent are armed with engines retrieved from old equipment. Most of them have low power (under 90HP) and fishing activities conducted by 76.9 percent of the fleet are limited to near-shore waters.

In addition, the industry’s workforce of nearly one million is mostly made up of manual workers who lack professional training. Only a mere 30 percent of captains and chief mechanics have received such training. Fishermen’s liaison remains weak, with many still working in isolation, lacking capital and not receiving assistance in times of distress.

Furthermore, the infrastructure meant for aquatic product exploitation remains inadequate, resulting in poor productivity. Fishing performance is also hampered by docking ports which are built on unlevel waters or are under construction. That has left the fishers feeling insecure and susceptible in times of rough seas and unforgiving weather.

Integrated solutions needed

To ensure fishermen’s sustainable livelihood, a comprehensive and long-term solution is that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should consult the government on planning and issuing policies and guidelines regarding the fishing industry. Such policies need clear, sound development phases.

Specifically speaking, more investment should be made in sea infrastructure, including modernizing fishing ports, wharfs and docking areas as shelter during hostile weather bouts; fishing supply centers; and upgrading residential areas along the coastline and on islands.

In addition, due attention should be given to developing hi-tech fleets for deep-sea fishing. A goal that all vessels engaged in sea exploitation are installed with a GPS device should be worked toward, so that the devices would facilitate prompt rescue of distressed ships or vessels attacked or held captive by their foreign counterparts.      

It’s critical that the government implement special credit policies to boost investment and radically solve fishermen’s problems in production and life. “Fishermen credit funds” should also be established in the banking system to allow the fishers to get access to loans.

Job training for the fishing fleet should also be intensified. They should be guided on how to operate in a model of “managing fishing activities based on the community,” and be encouraged to carry out their exploitation activities, particularly deep-sea ones, in groups and cooperatives.

It’s also essential that the government provide social insurance for deep-sea fishers by combining assistance solutions for health care, housing, electricity, and running water as well as deep-sea devices and techniques. This would be of great significance in improving fishermen’s performance and nurturing their zeal and dedication.

Incentive policies should also be adopted to lure local and foreign-owned enterprises from different fields to invest in fishing for, exploiting, processing and cultivating aquatic products. The development of a mighty coast guard force is also a must so that they can come to vulnerable fishermen’s timely rescue.

After all, each fisherman should have a sense of purpose and be conscious of the significance of their job, so that they would strive to enhance their skills and make the most of the assistance provided by the government and society.