Cua Lo: Fishing provides fishermen with an income of 10-15 million VND per month.
(Baonghean.vn) - For generations, the people of Cua Lo town have relied on the sea, venturing out to sea to develop the exploitation and processing of seafood, making it the main occupation of the town's residents. Continuing the traditional occupation of their ancestors, the people of this coastal town are now boldly building large boats with modern machinery to venture further out to sea.
Stay close to the sea, stay close to the fishing grounds.
Having just returned from a fishing trip, boat owner Vo Van Phuc from Binh Minh neighborhood,Nghi Thuy wardThe crew members were overjoyed with their "big win," filling the hold with shrimp, fish, and squid (about 10 tons), which they sold right at the dock for 250 million VND. After deducting expenses, each person received several million VND. Mr. Phuc said: "It's the southern fishing season, the main fishing season of the year for fishermen. Thanks to the stable market and high prices, fishermen have a stable income; on average, each person pockets millions of VND per trip lasting 3-5 days."
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| The Nghi Thuy fishing port is bustling. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
In early January 2021, two fishermen from Yen Dinh commune, Nguyen Van Hai and Nguyen Dinh Phuong, invested tens of billions of VND to build four 1,100-horsepower fishing vessels. After three months of launching and venturing out to sea, the fishing efficiency is evident. Fisherman Nguyen Van Hai said: "The larger ships, venturing further out to sea, result in higher fishing efficiency. Each fishing trip brings in at least 30-50 million VND, creating stable jobs for 5-7 crew members." In addition, fisherman Nguyen Dinh Ha is investing 16 billion VND to build two new offshore fishing vessels with 1,500 horsepower engines each, expected to be operational by mid-year.
"Seafood harvesting and processing has traditionally been the main occupation of the local people. While in the past, people mainly fished near the shore using gillnets, hook and line, and seine nets with small boats, in the last five years they have shifted to building larger boats with powerful engines to venture further offshore, fishing for extended periods, resulting in higher yields and better income."
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| Fishermen in Nghi Thuy ward unload seafood from boats. Photo: Hai Vuong |
To date, Nghi Thuy ward has 120 boats of all types, including 44 offshore fishing vessels with a capacity of 745-1,100 horsepower. In the first three months of 2021 alone, Nghi Thuy ward's catch reached over 3,000 tons, worth approximately 70 billion VND, providing an income of about 10-15 million VND per person per month for 700 marine workers.
Mr. Vo Van Ly, Head of the Economic Department of the People's Committee of Cua Lo town, said: Although not accounting for a large proportion, fishing plays an important role in the development of Cua Lo town's marine economy. In recent years, the town has invested in building and improving infrastructure to support fishing development: Upgrading and expanding Cua Hoi fishing port with a total cost of over 107 billion VND; renovating fishing ports and wharves in Nghi Hai and Nghi Thuy wards; providing 30 million VND in support to fishing households investing in building new fishing vessels from 400 HP to under 700 HP and 50 million VND in support for vessels of 700 HP or more…
The town's goal is to gradually shift from inshore to offshore fishing, using larger vessels and powerful engines, thereby contributing to a rapid increase in catch yields and creating jobs for local fishermen.
Over the past five years, the entire town has built 20 new large-capacity fishing vessels, increasing the number of large-capacity offshore fishing vessels from 23 in 2016 to 53 in 2021; fishing output increased from 11,000 tons in 2016 to 16,000 tons in 2020, creating jobs for nearly 2,000 local workers.
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| Nghi Thuy fish market is bustling with buyers and sellers. Photo: Hai Vuong |
Establishing a chain for the production, processing, and consumption of seafood.
The development of the fishing industry, the increase in catch yields, and the abundance of delicious seafood have encouraged people to expand services, invest in processing, and form a supply chain for seafood consumption. In Nghi Hai ward alone, there are currently 54 cold storage facilities with a total capacity of 8,200 tons. From these cold storage facilities, seafood is sold to northern provinces and exported to China, providing employment for 765 workers and contributing significantly to the local government's revenue.
In addition, Nghi Hai ward also has a fairly effective grilled mackerel association, whose grilled mackerel products are chosen by tourists and consumers both domestically and internationally, and are an important product in the strategy of developing the Cua Lo tourism brand.
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| Visitors touring Nghi Hai fish sauce making village. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Mr. Truong Nhu Duong, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Nghi Hai Ward (Cua Lo Town), said: “Currently, in addition to the Hai Giang 1 fish sauce village, the ward has 3 fish sauce processing companies and dozens of establishments processing grilled mackerel, squid patties, and shrimp. Notably, the ward has 3 products recognized as meeting OCOP standards. It is expected that in the 2021-2025 period, we will develop 5 more products with OCOP stars and upgrade the stars for products that have already achieved the standard. From there, we will build brands, expand market share, and create a closed chain from exploitation to processing and consumption of seafood, increasing economic value.”
In Nghi Thuy ward, numerous policies have been implemented to support and encourage fishermen to develop their fishing logistics. Currently, the ward has 195 seafood purchasing and processing facilities and one seafood harvesting and processing village, with a production volume of up to 1,000 tons, providing regular employment and stable income for over 650 workers. These seafood purchasing and processing facilities have established brands for high-quality seafood products such as fish sauce, shrimp paste, anchovy paste, dried fish, and peeled shrimp.
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| Nghi Hai fish sauce processing village. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Implementing the "Exploitation and Processing of Seafood in conjunction with Traditional Craft Village Products Project, 2016-2020", the town currently has 3 seafood processing craft villages and 1 grilled mackerel association; hundreds of seafood purchasing and processing establishments, creating jobs for 1,500 local workers with an income of approximately 70 million VND/person/year, and revenue from seafood processing in 2020 reached 702 billion VND.
