Steel-coated ships support Binh Dinh fishermen

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Binh Dinh (VNA) – The central province of Binh Dinh caught nearly 86,670 tonnes of seafood in the first five months of 2017 with the help of steel-coated ships, said Tran Van Phuc, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The figure represented a rise of 26 percent year-on-year. Fishermen in the province also earned from 120 million VND (5,282 USD) to 1.47 billion VND (64,710 USD), Phuc added.

The province has had 47 contracts to build new steel-coated ships, with 44 already operational.

Le Hoai Thanh, a local fisherman, said he received a new ship in September 2016. He earned nearly 1.5 billion VND after five fishing trips.

The ships have helped Binh Dinh fishermen and also contributed to protecting Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty.

Fishermen were supported in acquiring steel-coated ships by Government Decree No 67/2014/ND-CP on offshore fishing development.

The decree, which came into effect in August 2014, stipulates policies on investment, credit, insurance and tax incentives to support fishermen and ship owners who wish to build new fishing boats, upgrade existing boats and buy fishing and marine equipment, among others.-VNA