Over the past 3 years, Da Nang’s Tho Quang Fishing Wharf has seen an increase of between 16% and 23% year-on-year in the number of fishing boat arrivals.

The Tho Quang Fishing Wharf is full of fishing boats

In 2019 alone, the wharf received a total of 17,605 fishing boat arrivals. In addition, over 100,000 tons of seafood in total were unloaded from fishing vessels anchored here.

In the first 2 months of this year, about 50 fishing boats in total docked at the Tho Quang Wharf every day.

Mr Huynh Van Phuong, Head of the Management Board of the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf and Port, remarked the wharf has received a large number of offshore fishing boats, especially high-capacity vessels, from the city and other central coastal localities over recent years.

He explained the reason for the majority of fishing vessels from central regional localities choosing the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf as their stop after their offshore fishing trips is that the travel distance between the Hoang Sa fishing grounds and the wharf is very close. Besides, the existing navigation channels at the fishing wharf are more convenient and safer.

“The wharf boasts good infrastructure and offers good seafood trading and fishery logistics services. Also, Da Nang has a large seafood consumption capacity” Mr Phuong remarked.

Therefore, the wharf has been facing boat overload for many years.

In a bid to deal with the overload problem at the wharf, the Da Nang authorities have developed a plan for upgrading the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf into a driving force fishing port of the Da Nang Major Fishing Centre.

Developed by the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the upgrade project is expected to be implemented from 2017 - 2021 at a total cost of around 186 billion VND. Of this, about 120 billion VND is granted by the national government, whilst the remaining nearly 66 billion VND comes from the city budget.

Under the project, a 150m-long and 9.5m-wide pier will be constructed for over 600CV fishing vessels to anchor.

In addition, ice and production tool storage areas, a medical station, a canteen, warehouses, and food stores will be set up.

Another 82m-long and 10m-wide pier will be built in order to help over 600CV fishing vessels to increase the capacity of unloading seafood, and shorten waiting time.

During his meeting on 15 February with Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh, Deputy Minister of the Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the progress of the project on upgrading the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf was too slow. Deputy Minister Tien urged the Da Nang government to accelerate the upgrade progress in a bid to satisfy the growing demands for unloading seafood through the wharf in a more convenient manner.

By HOANG HIEP - Translated by MAI DUNG