The Van Canal is silting up, causing difficulties for fishermen.

(Baonghean.vn) - Ships wanting to enter and leave Lach Van port have to wait for the tide, and many ships run aground, their hulls damaged, and their propellers broken... Many ship owners are forced to move to other ports, or even abandon the profession.

The ship suffered damage to its hull and a broken propeller after running aground.

A view of Lach Van fishing port. Photo: Nhu Suong

One early morning in late April, along the sea dike leading to the Van estuary, the sea was calm. We expected to see boats laden with mackerel and tuna, but what we saw was a desolate scene, sad-looking ships lying idle along the shore.

We spotted a man sitting with his knees drawn up beside a pile of old fishing nets on the boat. He was Pham Ngoc Sam, the owner of fishing boat NA-3712 TS (51 years old, residing in Dong Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune). Mr. Sam sighed: "This is the season for tuna and mackerel, so each trip can bring in hundreds of millions of dong. However, the boats are stuck in Lach Van and have to wait for the tide to rise before we can go out to sea. Since the tide hasn't come up yet, the crew on the boat have nothing to do, so we sit here repairing the nets to pass the time."

As if to further explain the lament of his fellow boatmen, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (65 years old, Dong Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune) said: "The Van estuary is silting up, making it very difficult for boats to enter and exit. Out of every 10 boats entering and exiting the estuary, 7 have broken masts or propellers, and some boats even run aground and are completely wrecked."

Many fishing boats have been stuck in port for days waiting for the tide to rise. Photo: Nhu Suong

Lach Van Port is not only a mooring place for fishing boats of Dien Chau fishermen, but also a place for sheltering from storms, exchanging goods, and providing logistics for the fishing industry for many localities in the province and boats from neighboring provinces. The number of boats reaches thousands, with the Dien Ngoc commune alone having about 500 vessels of various types.”

Due to the silting up of the waterways, making it difficult for ships to enter and leave the port, many boat owners have been forced to switch to docking at other ports such as Cờn (Hoàng Mai), Quèn (Quỳnh Lưu), Hội (Cửa Hội)... which has increased the cost of each fishing trip for the fishermen.

Mr. Ngo Tri Nguyen (28 years old), owner of two 650 HP fishing vessels, NA-96999 TS and NA-96888 TS, expressed his frustration: “Because my vessels are large, we have had to move them to Quen estuary to anchor for a long time now, as we don't dare bring them here because the water is too shallow. This port change increases the cost of each trip by 20-25 million VND. Meanwhile, anchoring at the new port forces us to sell our shrimp and fish at lower prices than the market average because we lack buyers.”

Difficulties in developing the fishing industry.

The large fishing boat owned by Mr. Le Van Loi, residing in Dien Ngoc commune (Dien Chau district), has been anchored at Quen estuary (Quynh Luu district) for several months now. Photo: Nhu Suong

Faced with the reality of silting up waterways, which makes it difficult for boats to navigate, many fishermen have lost their livelihoods as their means of production are disrupted and they lack the capital to restart operations. Typical examples include Mr. Nguyen Van Trung (Tay Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune) and Mr. Thai Nguyen (Dong Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune), who were forced to abandon fishing after their boats ran aground and were damaged.

In particular, many fishermen are eager to invest in large ships with powerful engines, especially since the government implemented a policy to support fishermen in building ships for long-distance, long-duration offshore fishing and exploiting high-value marine species. However, due to waterway conditions not meeting the requirements, they have had to abandon their plans.

The silting up of the Van Lagoon port has been ongoing for many years. Photo: Nhu Suong

"We earnestly hope that the State will have a plan to dredge the estuary to resolve the siltation problem, creating favorable conditions for fishermen to enter and exit the port easily, especially during the upcoming rainy and stormy season," expressed Mr. Le Van Loi (Dien Ngoc commune).

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Ngoc commune, said: "The siltation in the Van estuary has been occurring for many years, causing great difficulties for fishing boats of Dien Ngoc commune in particular and Dien Chau district in general when entering and leaving the port. Currently, the local authorities have received the people's requests and submitted them to the relevant agencies to take measures to dredge the estuary, creating conditions for people to feel secure in continuing their fishing activities and developing the marine economy."

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