Thecommunication channel is expected to allow the two sides to coordinateeffectively in responding to emergency situations such as searching andrescuing distressed Filipino and Vietnamese fishermen at sea.
It is operated by the Vietnamese Directorate of Fisheries under theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with thePhilippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The establishment of the hotline is part of an agreement on fisherycooperation between Vietnam and the Philippines which was signed in June2010.-VNA