The sea is "thirsty" during the dry season.

(Baonghean.vn) - For many months now, fishermen in Quynh Luu have been struggling to cope with losses from failed fishing trips. Although poor catches are not uncommon for fishermen, the sea has never been as "thirsty" for fish as it has been in the last two years.

Visiting Lach Quen port in Tien Thuy commune these days, one can truly appreciate the quiet atmosphere. In stark contrast to the bustling scene of boats and ships entering and leaving the port in the past, we see only ships lying silently and idly in the harbor.

In recent months, the fishing industry has been unprofitable. The high costs of each fishing trip, coupled with insufficient income to cover expenses, have led to boats being idle and many workers abandoning the profession to seek new jobs.

Having been involved in the fishing industry for nearly 20 years, Mr. Bui Quang Luyen - owner of fishing boat 93684NA in Thanh Tien village, Tien Thuy commune - shared: "For the past month, the boat has been short of crew members. We've been trying to persuade the crew to join, but because the fishing season has been poor this year, there's no income to share with everyone, so we have no choice. With this kind of situation, we'll probably have to sell the boat soon to pay off the bank loan, because it's heartbreaking to see the boat sitting idle for a whole month."

The boat is docked at Quèn creek wharf.

Through our conversation, we learned that Mr. Luyen's boat has been docked for over a month due to a lack of labor. Just for one fishing trip, his boat costs approximately 70 million VND for fuel, ice, supplies, and other equipment. However, since the beginning of the fishing season, the income from fishing has not been enough to pay the 14 crew members. As a result, many of them have resigned. His boat, worth over 3 billion VND, was largely financed through bank loans, and the monthly interest payments have been made on time, putting his family in an extremely difficult situation.

The poor fishing season and lack of income for fishermen have dragged down the situation for onshore logistics services. Businesses selling gasoline, ice, and seafood supplies have been unable to collect payments for months. All business activities have stalled, and cold storage facilities have had to temporarily cease operations due to a lack of frozen goods. As a result, workers have also been temporarily laid off.

Mr. Bui Ngoc Ky, the owner of a seafood supplies store in Phuc Thanh village, Tien Thuy commune, sadly said:"The people living by the sea depend on fishing for their livelihood, but they've never seen a year with such a prolonged period of poor fishing. Because fishermen can't catch anything, their businesses are becoming increasingly difficult. They only hope that this lunar cycle will bring more fish, helping them earn more income and ensuring smooth business operations."

This situation is not unique to Tien Thuy commune; other coastal communes in Quynh Luu district, such as Quynh Nghia, Quynh Long, and Son Hai, share the same problem.

Currently, Quynh Luu district has 1,272 boats with a total capacity of 250,020 horsepower, of which 256 boats have a capacity of over 400 horsepower. In 2014, along with many support policies for fishermen from higher levels, Quynh Luu district also encouraged fishermen to invest in building 95 new boats and decommissioning 32 small, unsafe boats, bringing the total number of offshore fishing vessels in the district to 662.

Given the current situation of poor fishing seasons, it is suggested that the leaders of Quynh Luu district should implement more appropriate policies to help fishermen in the district feel secure in continuing their work at sea and preserving the traditional occupation of their ancestors.

Jade

Quynh Luu Radio