Two coast guard ships of the Coast Guard Region 1 High Command left the northern port city of Hai Phong on April 21, beginning a patrol to examine the enforcement of the Vietnam-China agreement on fishery cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The trip will cover a visit to and an exchange programme on Vietnam’s Con Co island, and communications activities to increase awareness on the agreement for fishermen working at sea.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Le Huy, Deputy Political Commissar of the Coast Guard Region 1, said over the past 15 years since the agreement took effect, Vietnam’s competent agencies and fishermen have coordinated together to maintain production and ensure marine security on the shared fishing waters between the two nations.

He noted the activity reflects Vietnam’s goodwill in enforcing and monitoring the implementation of the agreement, thus helping to make the Gulf of Tonkin an area of peace, cooperation and friendship and to create a favourable environment for both countries to boost economic development, particularly sea-based economy.

Since 2006, Vietnam and China have conducted 16 joint fishery patrols in the gulf, released fries into the gulf to protect aquatic resources, held three search and rescue drills, exchanged professional skills in maritime law enforcement, and run exchange programmes for young officers, Huy said.

The Vietnam Coast Guard mobilized ships to conduct 237 trips to supervise the enforcement of the pact, detecting 13,387 violations by Chinese fishing ships.