Linking seafood harvesting with seafood processing.

(Baonghean) - This season, in Quynh Di and Quynh Lap (Hoang Mai town), trays of steamed and dried fish stretch along the road towards the sea. These are anchovies collected for steaming, drying, or processing into fish sauce, increasing the value of the marine fishing industry.

Since the introduction of the drying and processing industry to the area, the consumption of anchovies by fishermen in Quynh Di Ward and Quynh Lap Commune has been stable, and the value of the marine fishing industry has increased significantly. Originating from Phuong Mai Enterprise, which brought this new industry from the South to the region, the people learned and expanded the trade. Currently, there are 7 facilities in Quynh Di Ward that steam and dry anchovies for export to China and for domestic consumption. Anchovies and mackerel are steamed, sun-dried, or processed in cold storage, and sold year-round, ensuring a constant supply to the market.

Mr. Tran Van Son, from Phu Loi 1 block, Quynh Di ward, said that in the past, he used to go fishing, and each trip yielded a large catch, but it was difficult to sell because the prices were low. His boat often had to transport all kinds of fish to Thanh Hoa to sell, incurring additional transportation costs, and the income was meager. He decided to start a service collecting and processing fish for sale in the southern provinces. In 2009, Mr. Son continued to switch to the business of steaming and drying anchovies and mackerel. Each time the fish arrive, his family's facility has to hire an additional 20 workers. The fresh fish here are steamed, dried, packaged, and stored in cold storage awaiting purchase by traders. Mr. Son shared: "Since the establishment of fish drying facilities, the purchase price of raw fish from fishermen has increased significantly, currently at 13,000 VND/kg, which makes the fishermen very happy. Our facility processes over 200 tons of raw fish annually, producing 60 tons of dried fish, which we sell at 40,000 VND/kg, bringing in a total revenue of 2.4 billion VND per year. However, the biggest difficulty currently is that all the facilities lack production space; we are currently having to rent land from locals to dry the fish…"

Drying anchovies in Quynh Di ward (Hoang Mai town).

The family of Ms. Tran Thi Hoai, from Tan Dong Hamlet, Quynh Di Ward, has also been involved in the fish drying and processing business since 2012. The young couple, though ambitious, boldly invested in a spacious and well-equipped production facility, providing seasonal employment for dozens of local workers. Ms. Hoai stated that her family's processing facility purchases and processes over 150 tons of fresh fish annually. They collect all the anchovies caught by fishermen, not only from Quynh Di but also from Quynh Lap, Quynh Tien, Quynh Nghia, and the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh, to ensure sufficient raw materials to meet market demand.

Quynh Di Ward has Phu Loi 1 and Phu Loi 2 hamlets specializing in marine seafood exploitation, with nearly 90 fishing vessels and an annual catch of 2,300-2,600 tons, serving the fish sauce processing and drying industries. Thanks to the strong development of seafood processing in the ward, the value of the local marine exploitation industry has been increased, creating more jobs and increasing income for all workers, improving the lives of the people. Mr. Nguyen Quang Dai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Di Ward, said: "Each year, fishermen in Quynh Di catch about 2,500 tons of anchovies. Before the steaming facilities were built, they mainly used the fish sauce for processing, and the surplus anchovies had to be sold off at low prices. After the establishment of processing and drying facilities, the value of anchovy products has increased; at the same time, it has created jobs for hundreds of female workers in the area…"

Locals in Cua Lo are preparing to export miscellaneous fish to China via unofficial channels.

Along with Quynh Di, in recent years, Quynh Lap commune has also strongly developed the steamed and dried fish processing industry. To date, there are 5 large-scale steaming and drying facilities in the area, processing an average of about 3,000 tons of fresh fish annually. All of the steamed and dried fish products are sold to the Chinese market. Encouragingly, instead of staying home waiting for their husbands to return from fishing, many women in the commune now have additional work from these steamed and dried fish processing facilities. Those working full days earn 5 million VND/month, with even the lowest earners at least 3.5 million VND/month. Thanks to the synchronized development from fishing to processing, the socio-economic development in the area has progressed rapidly and comprehensively, and the people's lives have improved significantly. People have been able to invest in building many new, large-capacity fishing vessels to venture further offshore, bringing in increased fish yields while also protecting the sovereignty of the nation's maritime territories.

Mr. Hoang Ngoc Thuy, Deputy Head of the Economic Department of Hoang Mai Town, commented: The development of fish drying and processing in the area has contributed to diversifying traditional processed seafood products, meeting the diverse needs of customers, and increasing income for fishermen. Especially important is the role of guaranteeing the sale of products from the fishing industry, particularly during bumper harvests when anchovies and sardines are abundant at the docks and cannot be sold. The drying and processing facilities have taken on the responsibility of selling the products for the fishermen, ensuring stable income for fishermen, increasing profits for processing facilities, and creating many jobs for local laborers. In 2014, the production of dried and processed fish in Hoang Mai Town alone reached over 2,000 tons; the estimated production for the first six months of 2015 reached 1,312 tons. All steamed and dried products are selling well, bringing in considerable revenue for processing facilities and contributing to the local budget.

Quynh Lan