Nghe An: Developing 10 fishing ports to accommodate 105,000 boat trips per year.

(Baonghean) - In recent years, Nghe An has been one of the localities receiving significant attention in investing in and upgrading fishing infrastructure. However, to ensure that fishermen can truly feel secure venturing out to sea, the central and provincial governments will continue to prioritize policies for this sector.

Upgrading fisheries infrastructure

The project to upgrade and expand Cua Hoi Fishing Port has a total estimated budget of 107 billion VND, and according to Mr. Nguyen Huu Tien - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An province, after completion, the port will have a new pier to allow ships with a maximum capacity of 800 horsepower to enter and exit.

Fishing boats flock to the Lach Quen estuary. Photo: Viet Hung

To date, more than a year after the project commenced, the connecting bridge between the existing pier and the newly constructed pier, which includes a 250 HP vessel berth, and the seawall for reclaiming land to create a 1.4-hectare area for the construction of a seafood sorting facility and other fisheries infrastructure, are being urgently constructed. Other items such as renovating the seafood sorting facility on the pier, upgrading and repairing technical infrastructure systems will also be accelerated so that the project can be completed and handed over for use in 2018.

Previously, in 2015, the upgrade project for Lach Van Fishing Port, invested by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, was completed and handed over for use after construction began in late 2013. The project, funded by the World Bank, covered an area of ​​over 7,000 square meters and included items such as upgrading and expanding the fishing port, constructing market stalls, shelters, product sales counters, a wastewater treatment system, and a water sanitation system. This upgrade investment was of great significance in facilitating easier access for fishing vessels to the port, ensuring better preservation of fishermen's catch, and guaranteeing food safety and hygiene.

These are just two of the fishing port projects in the province that have received significant investment from the government for upgrading in recent years. Besides Cua Hoi Fishing Port, Lach Quen Fishing Port has also been designated as a Class 1 fishing port by the government, with 100% of its funding from the central government. Although no upgrades or expansions have been undertaken yet, the project has been included in the medium-term investment plan. Lach Corn Fishing Port is also under construction, and the Lach Quen and Lach Van storm shelters have already been built.

Fish arrive at Cua Hoi wharf. Photo by Phu Huong.

To encourage fishermen to shift their fishing activities from inshore to offshore, venturing into the larger fishing grounds of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, Hoang Mai town is also receiving provincial funding to upgrade Lach Con Port and its storm shelter area with a total investment of over 50 billion VND, expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The town is also implementing the construction project of Quynh Phuong fishing port with a total investment of over 65 billion VND; the Quynh Lap breakwater is nearing completion and will soon be effective.

After the upgrade, it will greatly assist in receiving ships into the port, transferring seafood products ashore, and transporting essential supplies and materials for sea voyages. In the future, the town will request continued support for dredging Lach Corn Port and a section of Nha Le River to create a storm shelter for large vessels currently seeking refuge in Thanh Hoa and some southern provinces.

In 2015, the Quynh Phuong fishing port (Hoang Mai town) with a capacity of 400 vessels was put into operation; the Lach Van fishing port was upgraded and expanded to a capacity of 700 vessels. It is expected that in 2020, investment will be made to upgrade and expand the Lach Quen fishing port to a capacity of 300 vessels, and phase 2 of the Quynh Phuong fishing port will continue with a capacity of 200-300 vessels.

Continue to prioritize investment.

Although fishing ports have received investment for upgrading and expansion, due to specific characteristics such as the enormous capital requirements, the limited land area in coastal regions, and the frequent silting of waterways, many issues still need to be addressed to adequately meet the needs of fishing vessels going out to sea. Mr. To Duy The, Vice Chairman of the Fisheries Association of Quynh Nghia commune (Quynh Luu district), stated that in 2007-2008, the Quynh Nghia fishing port received investment for the construction of a 90-meter-long berth, which previously saw approximately 130 vessels entering and leaving regularly.

However, in the last few years, since the oyster farming movement on the river has developed strongly, encroaching on the riverbed, coupled with the construction of the national defense road on the other side of the river which has narrowed the riverbed, the boats of Manh Son parish and Tan An hamlet of An Hoa commune have developed strongly. Large-capacity boats have narrowed the mooring space, and at many times the Mo River is completely filled with boats, only small boats can maneuver in and out; collisions between boats occur frequently.

Son Hai commune (Quynh Luu district) has 265 fishing vessels, mainly offshore fishing boats, specializing in squid and grouper fishing for export. For the past ten years, the estuary has been silted up, making it very difficult for boats to enter and exit. In 2014, a dredging project was planned, but it was not very effective. Currently, large boats have to dock at Lach Quen wharf, and only boats with a capacity of 200 to 400 horsepower can enter and exit Lach Thoi, and even then, they have to wait for high tide. The project is currently preparing for phase 2, but according to Mr. Cao Xuan Diep - Secretary of the Party Committee of the commune, for the project to be effective, the construction team needs to conduct a field survey to develop a suitable technical plan.

The Lạch Quèn fishing harbor is shallow and covered with protruding boulders. Photo by Châu Lan

At Lach Van port, fishermen, even if they wanted to build large ships to go out to sea, couldn't because the channel was shallow and silted up. Without dredging, it would be difficult and even dangerous for ships to enter and exit, easily leading to running aground or even capsizing, especially before the moon rises and the tide is low. Furthermore, according to Mr. Nguyen Huu Tho, Director of the Nghe An Fishing Port Management Board, except for Cua Hoi port, most other ports in the area are shallow. While Nghe An doesn't have the largest number of fishing vessels in the country, its average capacity is the highest.

Fishing ports are generally small, making expansion and the development of fisheries logistics services difficult. The small size of the ports, coupled with concentrated fishing seasons, leads to overcrowding, with vessels crammed together, hindering not only mooring and the stockpiling of supplies but also the transportation of products ashore. The road network also has many shortcomings, affecting transportation and even the development of inshore supply services.

Discussing this issue, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tien, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: In the coming time, the policy of the province as well as the central government is to continue prioritizing investment in fisheries infrastructure projects to serve economic development such as seafood exploitation, fishing port systems, fishing wharves, and storm shelters for boats. The policy is to increase the number of fishing ports to 4 by 2020 and to about 5 by 2030 with a total wharf length of about 4,560 meters.

In addition, continue upgrading existing fishing ports, maintaining 10 ports with a total capacity of 105,000 visits per year by 2020. Continue improving the system of storm shelters and dredging the waterways throughout the province to ensure convenient access for fishing vessels with a capacity of 1,500 horsepower by 2020.

Phu Huong