New fishing season

(Baonghean)At the end of December, together with Nguyen Anh Hung - Head of the Quynh Luu Agricultural Extension Station, we visited fisherman Nguyen Van Muoi, the owner of a newly built boat who was finishing the last tasks before setting sail on the 6th of January. Muoi promised us that he would share the bounty of the sea with us when the boat returned. True to his word, during our first "spring trip" of the year, we went to Quynh Lap, where Muoi's boat had docked the night before.

Over a toast to the new year with freshly caught fish salad, the conversation about the sea and fishing continued to flow. My acquaintance with Mười began more than a year ago when he and his crew received the province's first horizontal sonar system. Back then, the mention of a horizontal sonar sounded like something out of a fairy tale. With determination, he and his crew invested nearly 150 million dong, plus another 150 million dong from a support project, to purchase the sonar – a move everyone considered "risky." But the results were surprisingly effective. Thanks to the sonar, his boat consistently found schools of fish, saving on fuel for exploration trips, and every trip was a success. In just over a year since acquiring the system, all debts were paid off. However, on many trips where they encountered schools of fish estimated at tens of tons, their small boat and nets meant they had to sadly watch hundreds of millions of dong slip away. So, Mười decided to sell his old boat and build a new one with his friends, installing a 550 HP engine and a four-star trawling net system worth nearly 4 billion VND to conquer the open sea. And now that dream has come true. On his first fishing trip of the year, in just a few days, he caught over 6 tons of white anchovies, and the early catch fetched a good price, bringing in nearly 100 million VND. Last year, not only Mười's boat had a successful fishing season, but fishermen in many places also benefited.

The results of the first fishing trip of the year for fishermen at Lach Quen fishing port (Quynh Luu).

Looking at the festive atmosphere of the people in the coastal area, everyone can feel it. According to Mr. Van, Vice Chairman of Quynh Lap commune, this year the fishing industry has brought in a good income. During Tet, 30 luxury scooters, refrigerators, and televisions sold out in just a few days at the commune's shops and businesses. On average, fishermen in Quynh Lap earn over 80 million VND per year. Some boats even earn over 100 million VND per worker. Previously, a maximum catch of 10 tons per trip was achieved, but now 30-40 tons per trip is normal; high catches reach 60 tons per trip. In Quynh Long, Mr. Minh's family, along with his brothers, jointly own three boats and earned 1.3 billion VND in one month. This record is the result of investment projects for fishermen. A year ago, horizontal sonar was unfamiliar to fishermen, but now, in the Quynh Luu area alone, there are six of them. Each engine costs 200-300 million VND, but the boat owners are willing to spend their own money to buy them. Alongside modern equipment, there's a trend of building larger boats with more powerful engines. In Quynh Nghia, out of 102 offshore fishing vessels, none have engines with a power output of less than 300 horsepower (HP). The engine power of these vessels is steadily increasing every year. While in 2010 the largest vessel in Quynh Nghia had a 400 HP engine, in 2011-2012 newly built vessels exceeded 500 HP, and today the largest vessel in the commune has an engine power of 700 HP. This is not unique to Quynh Nghia; the number of large-capacity vessels is rapidly increasing in other localities throughout the province. Currently, there are 1,011 vessels equipped with engines ranging from 90-700 HP, capable of conquering the open sea. Larger ships with powerful engines can carry more fish, stay at sea for longer periods, and along with increased engine power, improvements have led to the introduction of many new, highly effective fishing methods such as four-pole purse seine fishing, gillnet fishing, and offshore gillnet fishing... these are highly efficient fishing methods.

Large boats, powerful engines, and favorable weather conditions have resulted in a record-breaking seafood catch: for the first time, the province's total seafood production exceeded 117,000 tons, reaching 206% of the target. This year, starting from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, fishermen everywhere have set out to sea for fishing. Reports from various locations indicate that all boats have had successful catches this year, ensuring everyone earns an income. Although it's not yet the peak season, it's a positive sign for the new year.

Text and photos: Cong Sang