VietNamNet Bridge – The fishing boat DNa 90152, which was rammed and sunk by a Chinese ship while conducting its regular operations in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa fishing grounds, was successfully salvaged on June 2.

Vietnamese fishing boat sunk by Chinese ship was salvaged on June 2. -- Photo: VNA

The left side of the boat bears the marks of the collision and all equipment on board is damaged beyond repair, reported the Vietnam News Agency reporter present at the site.

The boat’s owner, Huynh Thi Nhu Hoa, a resident of Thanh Khe District in the central city of Da Nang, said that the boat is the main livelihood of tens of families.

She expressed her wish to receive support from the Vietnam Fisheries Association and its Da Nang chapter to sue China at the international court, adding that she will maintain the damaged boat as it is to present it as evidence of China’s aggressive acts.

On May 26, the Chinese ship 11209 rammed the DNa 90152 near a drilling rig China illegally placed in Vietnam’s waters. The Vietnamese trawler had been on a regular fishing voyage when it was deliberately encircled by Chinese fishing vessels and attacked by ship 11209.

The incident occurred at 4pm at a site 17 nautical miles from where China’s Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig was illegally standing. The location is the traditional fishing grounds of Vietnamese fishermen in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

All the 10 fishermen on board were rescued by other Vietnamese trawlers.

In early May, China illegally dispatched the rig, as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft, to Vietnam’s waters and positioned it at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 6 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 miles deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

On May 27, China moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 22 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 36 seconds east longitude. The new location is 25 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago and 23 nautical miles east-northeast from the old location, still completely within Vietnam’s continental shelf.

China’s armed vessels have aggressively fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese law enforcement and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

Source: Vietnam Plus