Da Nang fishermen busy going offshore in hope for bumper catches
Fishermen in Da Nang and neighbouring localities are busy going offshore to meet the high demand for seafood consumption during days in the buildup to the traditionl Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. Every day, dozens of boats carrying ‘sea blessings’ return from offshore fishing trips, bustlingly docking at Tho Quang fishing port with abundant seafood supplies.
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As Tet approaches, fishermen using purse seine and drag nets increase their exploitation of seafood for strong consumption during Tet. Photo: TRAN TRUC |
As recorded, the Tho Quang fishing port is, for the time being, bustling with boats and vessels in and out these days. Fishermen and traders are all in a hurry, always working quickly whenever a boat arrives at the port.
As soon as the fish are brought to the port, many traders immediately surrounded the boat of Mr. Phan Van Xuan from the Ha Tinh Province, the owner of fishing boat HT 90434 TS, with a capacity of 527CV, to buy seafood. This 15-day trip conducted by Mr. Xuan and 9 other fishermen brought back more than 1 tonne of various types of fish, many of which have high economic value.
As observed, Mr. Xuan’s boat specialises in hand-line fishing, so it mainly catches some species such as orange-ringed fish and grouper. "The boat trip before Tet caught a big catch, so everyone onboard the boat was very happy. After this trip, we will go on one last trip to earn more income in preparation for Tet and also hope that the weather will be favourable.”, said Mr. Xuan.
Having just completed the procedures for the boat to leave port for the last trip of the year, Mr. Truong Dinh Hung from Thanh Hoa Province, the owner of the fishing boat TH 90095 TS, with a capacity of 360CV, immediately checked the machinery and equipment on the boat.
This year he has undergone more than 10 trips and created an effective and stable source of income for himself and his crew members.
“My most recent trip was half a month ago, I caught 3 tons of hairtail and earned more than VND300 million, if deducting all expenses, the profit is about VND70 million. My fellow sailors and I took advantage of the favourable weather to head out to sea for the last trip of the lunar year. Hopefully this trip will be favourable, bringing a lot of “sea luck” so that the sailors can enjoy a warm and prosperous Tet holiday,” said Mr. Hung.
Meanwhile, Mr. Le Dung, the owner of the 840CV DNa 90098 TS from Xuan Ha Ward, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang and 7 fellow sailors are checking the amount of ice and necessities one last time before a short fishing trip. Mr. Dung specialises in mixed net fishing, so most of the fish are high-value fish. Thanks to favourable weather, he has made 15 trips to sea since the start of 2024.
“If the weather is stable, this trip will be completed in about 10 days. At the end of the lunar year, the price of tuna and mackerel will increase, so we hope to generate bumper catches. If we are lucky, we will be able to catch 3 - 4 tonnes of fish and earn a sum of about VND 150 million, after deducting all expenses, we will still have half the profit,” Mr. Dung shared.
According to traders, the market demand for seafood during Tet will increase by about 20 - 30%, leading to higher prices. However, at this time, the market has not seen many major price fluctuations.
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With favourable weather, fishermen are busy heading out to sea for the last trip of the Lunar New Year, to ensure supply for the market during Tet. Photo: TRAN TRUC |
According to the survey, the price of cuttlefish (25 - 35cm) is offered at VND340,000 /kg, squid (17-24cm) VND250,000 /kg, skipjack tuna VND65,000 /kg, big-eye tuna VND 80,000 /kg, hairtail 240,000 VND/kg, mackerel VND170,000/kg, cobia is VND200,000 /kg, pomfret VND110,000/kg, tiger prawn VND200,000 - VND290,000 /kg depending on volumes, white-leg shrimp VND200,000 - VND 240,000/kg depending on numbers.
Mr. Nguyen Lai, the Head of the Management Board of Tho Quang Fishing Port and Boats, said that this year’s weather is relatively more favourable than in previous years, the northeast monsoon has a low intensity, especially early December of the lunar calendar.
As Tet is coming around the corner, fishermen of purse seine and drag net fishing activities increase the exploitation of seafood for strong consumption during Tet; therefore, it is forecasted that the amount of seafood passing through the port will increase by 20 - 30% compared to normal days, helping to ensure the source of seafood for the market.
The market’s consumption is stronger than other times of the year, so prices will go up, but there have been no strong fluctuations yet. Seafood prices have begun to increase by about 5% for seafood consumed mainly during Tet such as mackerel, tuna, squid and hairtail.
In addition to the source of fish caught by ships passing through the port, many businesses and establishments that purchase frozen fish have large and abundant reserves, so they will promptly distribute to the market, so people do not worry about a shortage of seafood.
According to statistics from the Tho Quang Fishing Port Management Board, from December 10, 2024 to January 10, 2025, 629 ships docked at the port with a cargo volume of 4,300 tonnes, an average of 21 ships/day and 143 tonnes/day. At the Tho Quang seafood wholesale market, many types of seafood brought from fishing boats to serve the Tet holiday were quickly selected and purchased by traders and distributed to markets. The prices of seafood started to increase slightly from VND5,000 - VND10,000/kg depending on the type and there was no sharp price increase. |
Reporting by TRAN TRUC - Translating by A.THU