Drifting on the Sea for 16 Hours, Guangdong Coast Guard Saves 5 Stranded Fishermen

At noon of August 18, 2021, the Guangdong Zhanjiang Municipal Bureau received a call that a fishing ship lost power near Qiongzhou Strait in Xuwen, Zhanjiang, with 5 fishermen onboard.

The Bureau immediately assigned a law enforcement vessel to the target sea area and found the troubled fishing ship at 15:20, by which time it had drifted on the sea for more than 16 hours. There were big surges at the time and a drifting ship losing power would easily cause a collision accident, so the Coast Guard vessel towed it to the Haian Port in Xuwen and anchored it there, and the 5 fishermen were saved.

It is learned that the fishing ship lost power when it was operating near Qiongzhou Strait and suddenly came across bad weather at about 23:00 on August 17. It didn’t get through to the police until noon the next day because there was barely any signal. The five fishermen have now returned home safe and sound.

Hainan Coast Guard Saves 2 Stranded Fishermen

At about 9:00 am on August 26, the Hainan Sanya Municipal Bureau received an emergency call that a fishing ship capsized in the east of Dalang Jiao, Sanya, and two fishermen were trapped on the reefs.

The Bureau immediately sent its vessel Qianzhou and Liujiang to the target sea area with rescue equipment onboard.

The situation on the sea was so hostile and the trapped fishermen so weak that they couldn’t get back to the port by the Coast Guard vessels, so 4 Coast Guard officers took turns carrying the 2 stranded fishermen through the reefs and to a safe area on the coast, where they were transferred to the waiting rescue workers.

After nearly 4 hours of rescue efforts, the 2 fishermen from Lingao were finally sent to a safe area for treatment at about 15:00.

At present, the Sanya Municipal Bureau has got in touch with their families and the two fishermen are recovering well.

CCG’s No.4 Directly Subordinating Bureau Forms a Law Enforcement Coordination Mechanism with Hainan Tobacco Bureau

To further prevent and crack maritime smuggling of tobacco and maintain order in the tobacco market, the No.4 Directly Subordinating Bureau of China Coast Guard (CCG) and Hainan Tobacco Bureau held a symposium in Haikou and signed the Methods of Coordination and Cooperation between No.4 Directly Subordinating Bureau of China Coast Guard and Hainan Tobacco Bureau on Jointly Fighting the Smuggling of Tobacco Products on August 28.

During the symposium, leaders of both sides reported the recent achievements in fighting counterfeit and smuggled tobacco products on the sea, analyzed the situation of tobacco smuggling in waters around Hainan, and exchanged views on how to build a comprehensive anti-smuggling system integrating “suppression, prevention, regulation and control”. Having reached a consensus on information sharing, work on clues, law enforcement coordination and logistics support, they signed the Methods of Coordination and Cooperation mentioned above.

The Methods divided duties of fighting smuggling of tobacco products, improved the mode of law enforcement cooperation and coordination, and perfected work systems regarding the joint meeting, information sharing, cooperative case handling, and training and publicity.

Shandong Coast Guard Strengthens Maritime Coordination and Overall Governance

The Rongcheng No.2 workstation of the Shandong Weihai Municipal Bureau carried out joint law enforcement with fisheries administration, maritime affairs and coast police at multiple wharves, including Shidao New Port, Beifang Fishing Market, and Mingtai, on August 9, in an effort to protect the marine ecology and environment. The joint operation was aimed at implementing the “Flashing Sword 2021” special operation for the summer fishing moratorium and the “Blue Sea 2021” special operation for the protection of marine ecology and environment.

During the operation, all parties carried out the mechanism of “joint prevention, control and action”, conducted joint inspection simultaneously on land and at sea, and intensified regulation of sea areas and wharves under their jurisdiction across the board. The officers boarded and checked more than 20 fishing ships berthing at the port, with a special emphasis on illegal and criminal activities such as illegal fishing and dumping to the sea, so as to prevent environmental and ecological risks at key links.

Taking this opportunity, the Coast Guard officers at Rongcheng No.2 Workstation promoted the Coast Guard Law and policies on the fishing moratorium and environmental and ecological protection to more than 40 fishermen by hanging up banners, explaining legal issues, and answering their questions. They hanged up three banners and handed out over 20 Coast Guard Law brochures and handbooks on relevant policies, which increased the fishermen’s legal and environmental awareness and effectively mobilized them to join the protection of marine ecology and environment.

Next, Rongcheng No.2 Workstation of the Shandong Weihai Municipal Bureau will continue to strengthen the coordination with other local maritime authorities, raise the efficiency of law enforcement, keep the high pressure on illegal activities, and enhance the overall regulatory synergy, so as to better protect marine resources and the environment.