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  Vietnam to Boost Support for Fishermen Caught up in Territorial Dispute with
                                     China

   Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is pledging to create more
   favorable working conditions for more than 1 million fishermen who he
   said play a part in protecting the country`s sovereignty in the
   disputed South China Sea.
   In a speech this week, Mr. Dung asked relevant ministries to put
   forward concrete credit policies such as easier access to loans for
   building better equipped fishing ships.
   His remarks come days after a Vietnamese ship was allegedly attacked by
   an unidentified Chinese ship near the disputed Paracel islands in the
   South China Sea. Hanoi and Beijing have not officially commented on the
   incident, which was widely reported in the Vietnamese media.
   Vo Van Trac, vice chairman of the Vietnam Fisheries Society, welcomed
   Mr. Dung`s remarks. He told VOA that one crucial, urgent issue is
   providing enough capital for fishing operations.
   "If Vietnam wants to defend its territorial sovereignty, its fishermen
   should maintain their presence at sea. But they need capital resources
   to carry out long-term fishing in the face of China`s threat and
   prevention. The state should reassure them through policies that put a
   priority on them."
   Fishermen who often venture out on disputed areas over the South China
   Sea told VOA`s Vietnamese service they desperately seek private loans
   from the black market to facilitate their operations and even to pay
   for fines allegedly imposed by China.
   The Vietnamese prime minister mentioned this point in his speech,
   saying the country should not let its fishermen continue borrowing from
   loan sharks.`
   According to official records, Vietnam has a fleet of nearly 30,000
   offshore fishing ships.
   Four Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the
   Philippines, are locked in territorial disputes with China over waters
   in the South China Sea.
   (This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Vietnamese
   service.)
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/vietnam-to-boost-support-for-fisherme
   n-caught-up-in-territorial-dispute-with-china/1870682.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/vietnam-to-boost-support-for-fishermen-caught-up-in-territorial-dispute-with-china/1870682.html