Nguyen Duc News

In keeping with their reputation as a nation that can overcome all obstacles, Vietnam is rebuilding its aging fishing fleet. With a government program of soft loans, designated Decree 67/ND-CP, fishermen are building boats along 28 coastal provinces from the north to the south of Vietnam. Capt. Trinh Van Hung, grew up in a fishing family and, after completing his schooling, he fished briefly with his father. His curiosity took him into business as a trader but the call of the sea was strong. At 25, he returned to the fishing.

Ha Long Shipyard successfully launched a container ship in northern Quang Ninh Province with its capacity of 1,750 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEU), which is the biggest container ship ever built in Vietnam. Shipyard director Nguyen Duc Than reportedly said the container ship, named Vinashin Dragon, would be delivered to a local client by the end of the first quarter next year. It is the first ship of a contract for five container ships ordered by Vinashin Lines, and both the shipbuilder and the client are members of the giant Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin). The 184-meter-long and 25-meter-wide ship, with a tonnage equivalent to 23,000DWT, is worth $36m. Construction of the ship was supervised by Germany's register company GL, and it is equipped with European machines.