Fishing groups in Vam Lang commune, Go Cong Dong District and My Tho City in the Mekong Delta province Tien Giang received ten telecommunication devices to facilitate their offshore operations.

According to Nguyen Trong Tuy, Head of the Tien Giang Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the province has so far provided 18 telecommunication devices worth more than 500 million VND (23,809 USD) to fishing groups.

He said the province will hand over 10-15 satellite devices to fishermen in 2015.

The move intends to encourage fishing boats to operate as a group to increase efficiency and provide mutual support in natural disaster response and search and rescue efforts, he added.

Tien Giang is currently home to 20 fishing groups, which help fishermen increase their fishing capacity and add value to their catch.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung recently approved a national programme to provide fishermen with modern communication equipment by 2020, with a vision to 2030.

The equipment will support search and rescue operations, security and defence, and environmental protection, as well as maritime economic development.-VNA