The People’s Committee of the central coastal province of Binh Thuan has applied a number of support policies for fishermen during their long-term offshore operations.

According to Huynh Quang Huy, head of the provincial Fisheries Department, the policies focused on fuel assistance, insurance and communications devices.

Most of the fishing boats in Binh Thuan, accordingly, now have modern communication devices, enabling fishermen to stay at sea longer than usual, contributing to protecting national sovereignty, added Huy.

With a coastline of 192km, Binh Thuan is one of the 28 coastal localities playing a strategic role in Vietnam ’s maritime strategy.

During a recent visit to Binh Thuan, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has asked the province to further develop its maritime economy as it boasts one of the country’s three largest fishing grounds.

The province is now home to 7,500 fishing vessels, which caught 78,600 tonnes of seafood in the first half of this year, up 6.2 percent from the same period last year.

In the first half, Binh Thuan recorded a GDP growth rate of 8.6 percent.-VNA