Equipping on-boat storage compartments with new materials and modern equipment and machinery not only contributes to preserving the quality of seafood but it also improves their value right after catches, thus helping to reduce the cost of each trip reaching out to sea for fish catches and bringing economic efficiency to fishermen.

Developing a storage compartment with new materials along with modern equipment and machinery helps improve the value of seafood after catch. Photo: VAN HOANG

In 2018, Mr. Nguyen Van Binh's family in Tho Quang Ward, Son Tra District built 3 new fishing boats, of which 2 ships boast storage compartments made from Polyurethane (PU) material.

Mr. Binh said that since the ship is equipped with a PU compartment, he can rest assured that he can fish for a longer time at sea. As compared to the traditional storage method, seafood preserved in the PU cellar keeps its quality longer, the amount of ice stored in the compartment is consumed about 30% less.

Given good preservation methods, when bringing seafood to the wholesale market, the price is more stable than before.

Unlike other fishing vessels that have invested in PU storage compartments, the fishing vessel DNa 90888 TS owned by fisherman Le Van Thien in Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau District preserves seafood by using ice-making equipment from seawater and applying Japan's advanced preservation techniques to improve product quality to the maximum.

It is known that this is equipment and technology sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) since October 2019.

Every time it goes to the deep sea, the device will suck in seawater and freeze it into ice, which is pumped into the hold of the ship to preserve seafood.

“Thanks to the application of such an advanced technology and new preservation techniques, seafood always ensures freshness and is much welcomed by many traders when it arrives ashore. Each trip to sea, my ship makes a profit of VND100-150 million, bringing a stable income to the ship's crew members”, said Mr. Thien.

In reality, some local fishermen are still earning only small profits from their catches due to the low quality of their products.

Most local fishermen usually store their newly-caught seafood in their frozen storage compartments filled with foam to lengthen their products’ freshness. However, the foam layers, which have now been used for a very long time, are able to absorb water. This causes the catches to spoil, smell bad, and become bruised during the week-long fishing trips.  Therefore, if the catches could be preserved by better methods, they will be sold at higher prices.

Deputy Director of the Da Nang Fisheries Sub-Department Dang Duy Hai said that, in order to improve the value of seafood right after exploitation, it is high time for fishermen to pay attention to good product preservation. Currently, many ships in the city still use the outdated seafood storage compartments mainly using crushed ice and salt to preserve seafood after catches. If the sea voyage is long, slow transit time will lead to great loss, waste of resources and low economic efficiency. Therefore, ship owners need to invest in modern storage compartments and perform periodic maintenance of their ships so that the quality of seafood after exploitation can be kept longer.

More support for fishermen to improve seafood value

In order to head towards lifting the face to the local fisheries industry by improving the quality of caught products, reduce post-catch losses and the actual needs of fishermen in organizing fishing activities, the Da Nang administration has issued Resolution No. 255/2019/NQ-HDND dated July 11, 2019 on ‘Regulations on policies to support the development of seafood exploitation in Da Nang in the 2019 - 2025 period".

Accordingly, the city’s budget supports 100% of the funds for fishing vessel owners in the area to purchase voyage monitoring equipment installed on fishing vessels and the subscription fee for the first year; a 50% subsidiary for machinery and equipment  used in product preservation with a maximum support of no more than VND500 million/ vessel.

As announced by Deputy Director of the Da Nang Centre for Agro-Forestry Promotion Ngo Thi Kim Cuong said that the National Directorate of Fisheries is commenting on the draft project ‘Planning for the protection and exploitation of aquatic resources in the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision towards 2050’.

The project is aimed at turning Viet Nam into a country with sustainable and modern fisheries; towards the conservation of biodiversity with the abundance of genetic resources, biological species and ecosystems in nature; improve the people's material and spiritual life, as well as contribute to ensuring social security and maintaining the Fatherland’s sovereignty over sea and islands.

Accordingly, the draft focuses on building a rich fishing ground and promoting smart fleet development and the modernization of fishing ports.

The investment in fishing vessels with modern equipment and storage compartments will be one of many factors contributing to the creation of a smart fleet.

As of the end of March, 2022, the whole city had had 1,229 fishing boats. In the first quarter of 2022, the total fishing output generated by Da Nang fishing vessels was estimated at 9,098 tonnes, reaching 35% of the 2022 target (37,000 tonnes), down 356 tonnes compared to the same period in 2021.

Reporting by VAN HOANG – Translating by A.THU