(VOVworld) – President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan worked with the Vietnam Fisheries Association in Hanoi on Tuesday.

He praised the Association’s contributions to help the fisheries sector achieve sustainable growth, thus improving fishermen’s lives. He asked the Association to be more active in protecting the legitimate rights of its members and fisheries businesses. The Association was also asked to devise appropriate policies to develop offshore fishing and improve fishermen’s lives, which should be incorporated with national defense, natural disaster mitigation, and Vietnam’s assertion of its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes.

Da Nang’s Fisheries Association has received 250,000 USD raised by individuals and organizations at home and abroad to support disadvantaged fishermen and vessels damaged by Chinese ships. Association President Tran Van Linh said: “Despite China’s increasing aggression, our fishermen remain unworried. With the protection of marine police and fisheries resources surveillance forces, we will continue to go fishing and protect our maritime sovereignty.”