One day in early May, a squid fishing boat belonging to fisherman from Quang Ngai province headed to the lock on Song Tu Tay Island, Truong Sa archipelago.
This lock on Da Tay A Island was built in 2019. Dozens of fishing vessels can enter the lock to avoid cyclones and refuel or seek repairs after breaking down.
Fishermen on Truong Sa’s fishing grounds said that each trip usually lasts about 2 months. In the past, ships often plied the waters near the shore or, if they went to Truong Sa, could not work for long because they had to return to shore to refuel and pick up other necessities.
According to figures from the commander of Da Tay A Island, during 2020 and the first quarter of this year its medical centre examined and treated 1,580 people, including more than 1,200 fishermen. The island has also created the conditions to offer assistance to more than 2,700 fishing boats, helping the fishermen on board with rice, fresh water, and other necessities when they enter the lock to avoid storms.
Locks on the Truong Sa archipelago not only serve as a shelter for fishermen and provide logistics services, but are also considered a “common house” for them in the middle of the immense sea./.
