The statement issued by Vietnam Fisheries Society (Source: laodong.com.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Fisheries Society (VFS) on May 4 issued a statement opposing the sinking of a local fishing boat in Vietnam’s waters by a foreign vessel, according to the Lao Dong newspaper.
The statement said, the VFS chapter in Binh Minh commune, Thang Binh district, the central province of Quang Nam, reported that on May 3, a fishing boat captained by Pham Phu Thanh, was rammed and sunk by a strange vessel at 19 degrees north latitude and 114 degrees longitude in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.
After the crash, the strange vessel, which the fishermen on board suspected belonged to China, left the Vietnamese fishermen in distress at sea. All the fishermen were rescued by a nearby Vietnamese fishing boat.
A Da Nang Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre rescue boat is expected to bring the victims to the mainland on May 5.
The VFS described the crash as an inhumane act which threatened lives and caused huge property losses for the fishermen.
The VFS members were operating in Vietnam’s sovereign waters, the association said.
The association also called on Vietnamese agencies to take measures to protect the lives and assets of local fishermen at sea and prevent similar incidents.
The association urged its members to support each other at sea while observing the maritime laws of Vietnam and neighbouring countries.-VNA
