Inadequate storm shelters for boats in Nghe An

The province currently has 5storm shelter for fishing boatsincluding: Lach Quen, Lach Thoi (Quynh Luu); Lach Con (Hoang Mai Town); Lach Van (Dien Chau); Lach Lo (Cua Lo Town), meeting the shelter needs of 2,000 boats. Meanwhile, the number of fishing boats with a length of 6m or more in Nghe An has reached 3,448.

This means that more than one-third of large fishing boats in the province will have no place to anchor when storms come. Not to mention that many storm shelters are currently built just for show, because boats cannot enter.

A storm shelter was built in Nghi Quang commune (Nghi Loc), but in reality only small fishing boats can anchor there, while large-capacity boats have difficulty approaching. Photo: Tien Dong

Specifically, in Dien Chau district, more than 15 years ago, a project to build a storm shelter for boats and dredge the channel atLach Van,The project invested by Dien Chau District People's Committee has been implemented with a total investment of over 100 billion VND.

Accordingly, at Lach Van (from Dien Ky to Dien Kim bridge), about 2km long, many concrete pillars were built as anchoring points to avoid storms, accommodating about 500 ships with a capacity of 200CV to take shelter. These anchoring pillars are placed on both sides of the creek, each pillar is 20-30m apart.

However, after construction, it is difficult for boats to reach these shelters. Because in reality, if boats want to reach these anchorages, they have to go through 3 bridges at Dien Kim, Dien Van and Dien Ky. This is almost an "impossible mission" for fishermen every time there is a storm. However, to reach the anchorages, they have to wait for high tide, but the paradox is that if the water rises, the boats cannot go through the bridges. Therefore, every time there is a storm, fishermen have to anchor their boats outside the fishing port, or find other places to take shelter.

Because after construction was completed, it was difficult for boats to access, the anchorage points on Lach Van were encroached upon and requisitioned for other purposes. Photo: Tien Dong

Because they were built but cannot be used, many boat mooring posts along Lach Van have been encroached upon by local people. Some have been surrounded to make chicken coops, some have had their anti-collision rubber panels removed, and some have now become places to tie ropes to fish cages.

Not only in Dien Chau, in Hoang Mai town area, Lach Con storm shelter anchorage has been approved to be qualified to anchor 500 fishing boats. However, in reality, due to the Con bridge, almost no large boats of Quynh Phuong and Quynh Lap fishermen can pass through to reach the shelter.

The rows of concrete anchoring pillars built on the dead-end canal in Hoang Mai town are not effective. Photo: Tien Dong

Not counting the Lach Con anchorage, right at the dead-end section of the creek in Quynh Di and Quynh Phuong wards (a small branch of Lach Con), a system of concrete piles has long been built to anchor boats. However, no large fishing boats can come here to anchor.

The anchorage point at the dead-end creek in Quynh Di and Quynh Phuong wards, Hoang Mai town seems to be just for decoration and cannot meet the anchorage needs of boats during storms. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Nguyen Van Muoi, Dong Tien hamlet (Quynh Lap), said: Every time the rainy and stormy season comes, not only he but also fishermen in Quynh Lap and Quynh Phuong have to work very hard to bring their boats to shelter. Mr. Muoi's boat is one of the largest fishing boats in Quynh Lap, with a capacity of 1,300CV, specializing inoffshore fishing.

“Every time we hear about a storm, we have to take our ship to hide, and it’s not easy to do so. We usually have to leave 3 days before the storm hits, and prepare food, water, and other necessary items. If we wait until the storm hits, we can’t leave, not to mention there’s no place for our ship to take shelter. There are times when we run to the shelter, anchor, and tie down the ship, then we hear that the storm has changed direction, and tens of millions of dollars in fuel are wasted,” Mr. Muoi shared.

Ships anchor at Lach Quen port (Quynh Luu), but during the rainy and stormy season, the demand for anchorage increases, and Lach Quen port cannot meet all the demand. Photo: Tien Dong

Quynh Lap currently has more than 140 large ships specializing in offshore fishing, of which 130 are trawlers with four masts 12m high. These large ships cannot reach Lach Con shelter area when there is a storm because Con bridge blocks them. Therefore, fishermen often have to anchor in Hai Thanh (Tinh Gia, Thanh Hoa), or go to Cua Hoi, Lach Quen, or even to Ha Tinh, Quang Binh.

It is estimated that every time there is a storm, Quynh Lap fishermen have to spend 3-4 billion VND just to take their boats to hide. Having to take their boats to other localities to take shelter, while there is an anchorage in the area, not only causes great economic damage, but also easily causes conflicts with local people when boats compete for shelter from the storm./.