Page 40: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 2016)

FISHING VESSEL QUARTERLY

Vietnamese Fisherman Opts for Modern Boat

Vietnam, with a coastline of 3,260 km, er Bui Mong demonstrated to the bank ventured out to complete his military knocks.” As cook he was the most junior excluding islands, claims 12 nautical that he was both deserving of a boat loan requirements and then took a job cook- on the boat and had to respond to the de- miles as the limit of its territorial waters, and capable of repaying it. From his ing on a small squid boat. As do many mands of the other 20-crew members. an additional 12 nautical miles as a con- birth in 1970, on a farm in Quang Ngai, workers new to the ? shing industry he He persevered and, when he got the op- tiguous security zone and 200 miles as one of the poorest areas of Vietnam, he learned the trade in “the school of hard portunity to assist the boat’s engineer he an exclusive economic zone. This adds asked questions and learned to maintain up to a lot of water to protect as well as a a diesel engine. In time he gained the rich coastal ? shing area. con? dence of the vessel owner and, with

In an effort to increase the ? sheries higher pay, began to save for his own production of the coastal ? shing area the vessel. With some partners he bought a

Vietnamese government has instituted a small squid boat. With continued hard program to encourage investment in the work and careful study of the other ? sh- ? shery. Known as “Directive No. 67” ermen he gained con? dence. More good it provides low interest loans to assist ? shermen wanted to work with him. As quali? ed ? shermen to build new boats or he explained to Cummins DKH (Viet- upgrade existing boats. Many ? shermen nam) LLC Engine Sales Engineer Nguy- who quali? ed have opted for wooden en Cam Linh, “He wrote down carefully boats built by the Vietnamese craftsmen. all information on each of his trips, like

Wanting a thoroughly modern boat, location, wind direction, current and oth- ? sherman Bui Mong approached the in- ers, day after day. The record became a novative Institute of Ship Research and ? shing manual and he learned by heart

Development (UNISHIP) in Khanh Hoa each season, characteristics and areas of province on Vietnam’s central coast. Vietnam’s sea so that he became a ‘walk-

In association with University of Nha ing encyclopedia of the ocean’. By then

Trang the small shipyard has launched he owned 100% of the boat.” several ? berglass vessels this year. Own- Moving from the squid ? shery to a sur- (Photo: Cummins/Haig-Brown) “Directive No. 67”

Vietnam’s government has spurred investment in new commercial ? shing tonnage – such as Ju Mong Truong Sa powered by Cummins diesel engines – with low interest loans.

(Photo: Cummins/Haig-Brown) 40 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JULY 2016

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