“Second home on the sea”
Dawn broke over the East Sea, Fisheries Surveillance Ship 491 dropped anchor, taking us to visit Da Tay Island.
Looking out to the vast Truong Sa sea, fishing boats with red flags with yellow stars fluttering are diligently casting nets and fishing peacefully.
The CQ boat cut through the waves and glided through the large port, bringing people to the wharf. The scene here was quite bustling, not unlike a fishing port on the mainland. Fishing boats lined up in and out of the port to get fresh water, ice, fuel, food, etc., then cut through the waves and headed out to sea to continue exploiting seafood.
Bringing the ship to port to pump oil and get fresh water, Mr. Le Huu Ha (Phuoc Dong commune, Nha Trang city), owner of fishing boat KH-94848 TS, excitedly said:
“I am the third generation in my family to be involved in tuna fishing in the Truong Sa sea area. Out of 12 months of the year, I spend more than 10 months at the fishing grounds catching seafood.
This time the boat has been fishing here for 25 days, but the output has not yet met the requirements. If we return to shore to get fuel, we will definitely lose money. Therefore, we decided to take the boat to the Da Tay Island Fishing Logistics Service Center to pump fresh water, buy more fuel and food to continue fishing.
Oil, ice, food… are bought at the same price as on the mainland; fresh water is provided free of charge. For me, the Da Tay Island Fisheries Logistics Service Center is a “second home” - a solid rear base at sea, helping everyone feel secure in their fishing grounds.”
Next to Mr. Ha's boat is the fishing boat PY-90945 TS of Mr. Nguyen Van Hue (Dak Lak province - former Phu Yen province) also coming in to pump fresh water, buy oil and ice.
Talking to us, Mr. Hue said that fishing is a risky business. If you are lucky enough to catch a fish, after a few days of fishing, your boat will be full and you will return to shore with a profit.
But there are also many fishing trips with little yield, while fuel, fresh water, and ice on board have been consumed. If the ship has to be moved back to shore to resupply, it will be very time-consuming and costly.
Therefore, entering the Da Tay Island Fisheries Logistics Service Center to refuel and resupply supplies to continue fishing is the choice of many fishing boats operating in the Truong Sa waters.
“The sea is a source of life, but it is also full of dangers. When we encounter storms, we take our ships to the port of Da Tay Island for shelter; when our ships run aground, the machinery breaks down or crew members get sick, we call the army and the Da Tay Island Fisheries Logistics Service Center for rescue, so we feel very secure,” Mr. Hue shared.
During the fishing process, the net reeling machine on Mr. Nguyen Van Hue's fishing boat had a loose weld, making it difficult to collect the net. Knowing the situation, Mr. Phan Van Tuyet, an employee of the Da Tay Island Fisheries Logistics Service Center, immediately pulled out the welding machine to re-seal the loose joints. When everything was done, Mr. Hue offered to calculate the repair cost, seeing that, Mr. Phan Van Tuyet smiled brightly:
“There is no need to pay, all boat repairs for the people here are completely free. Therefore, fishermen can rest assured, when the boat breaks down, has an accident at sea, the crew is sick or unfortunately has an accident, please call us for timely support and help.”
Taking us to visit the logistics service store, Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, an employee of the Da Tay Island Fisheries Logistics Service Center, boasted that since the beginning of 2024, the unit has provided more than 150 tons of food, foodstuffs and essential necessities for fishermen. The items here are transported from the mainland to ensure quality, are inspected and properly preserved.
Not only that, in recent years, the unit has also invested in a garden to grow all kinds of vegetables, watermelons, raise pigs, chickens, ducks, etc. to supply fishermen and supplement the food rations of employees.
Always with fishermen
When Mr. Le Huu Ha's fishing boat just docked, Mr. Nguyen Tu Lua, Manager of the frozen ice factory of Da Tay Island Fishing Logistics Service Center, came to visit. Understanding the needs of the fishermen, Mr. Lua called his team members to support. Some pumped oil, some pumped water, some crushed ice to put in the fish tank...
Everything worked together smoothly and quickly. After only about 30 minutes, all the fishermen's needs were fully met. Everyone happily shook hands, thanked them, and wished them a successful fishing trip.
Mr. Nguyen Tu Lua shared: “I came to Da Tay Island to work at the Logistics Service Center in 2013. When I first came here, life was quite difficult due to the harsh weather conditions and lack of many things. However, that environment helped me train my will and determination to overcome difficulties.
Thanks to the investment from the State and the Company, our lives have changed a lot and are more fulfilling. Everyone here is always united and ready to help each other at work.
Whenever fishermen need services, the unit provides them fully. In response, a smile, a handshake of thanks, or a few fish given by fishermen makes everyone happy. That is the encouragement for us to continue to stick together and accompany the fishermen."
After 20 years of operation in Truong Sa, Da Tay Island Fisheries Logistics Service Center has truly become a safe harbor and a solid rear at sea for every fisherman.
With the attention of the Party, the State, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , the Center is increasingly invested in and built to be spacious, fully equipped and with services to meet the needs of fishermen.
The center has a nearly 20-hectare ship lock that can accommodate more than 200 fishing boats to safely take shelter from storms; along with storm shelters serving over 1,000 crew members.
In particular, the Center's ice factory is capable of producing 832 ice blocks per day, 50kg/block, and 2 cold storages with a capacity of over 1,000 tons. The Center also has a fresh water tank of over 4,800m3 and a fuel tank with a capacity of over 500m3.
The mechanical workshop with a team of skilled technicians responds to quickly repair boats for fishermen. In addition, the center also has a fleet of logistics service vessels at sea, always ready to coordinate with the army to rescue fishermen 24/24 hours.
Mr. Vo Chi Tuan - Deputy Director of Da Tay Island Fisheries Logistics Service Center said that with the assigned tasks, from the beginning of 2024 until now, the Center has provided more than 150,000 liters of oil, more than 120,000m3 of fresh water, 132,000 ice blocks, rescued and repaired 50 fishing boats, guided and inspected more than 900 fishing boats for fishermen.
In addition, the unit also regularly coordinates with military units to do a good job of training and being ready to fight to firmly protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands.
In the coming time, the Center will continuously strengthen and improve the quality of services, build solidarity with the military and people on the island to truly become a solid support for fishermen...
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/chinh-tri/diem-tua-giua-trung-khoi-150705.html
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