Nghe An: Boats stay ashore to avoid storm, seafood prices increase sharply

Present at Lach Quen fishing port, Quynh Thuan commune (Quynh Luu), although the weather has been favorable in recent days, manyshipsstill can not go out to sea to catch seafood. Now there is storm number 13 Vamco so going to sea will have to be postponed in the coming days.

Boats in Quynh Luu district have been staying ashore to avoid the storm for more than a month, causing a decrease in fishing output. Photo: Viet Hung

Fisherman Ho Van Manh, fishing for fishing boat NA 90998, Quynh Long commune (Quynh Luu), shared: "For more than a month now,fishermenWe have not been able to go out to sea to fish due to many storms hitting the central provinces... Now we have to wait until storm number 13 passes before we dare to go out to sea."

According to fishermen, the fact that boats cannot go out to sea to fish due to the impact of rain and storms has caused a shortage of seafood. Processing facilities do not have seafood to process, so the number of workers has been reduced. The boats are staying ashore to avoid storms, causingseafood pricesincreased sharply in recent days.

Surveys at seafood purchasing and preservation points in the communes of Quynh Long, Tien Thuy, Son Hai, Quynh Nghia (Quynh Luu)... show that the prices of seafood products have all increased. Specifically, the price of dried squid grade 1, which is usually 900,000 VND/kg, has increased to 1.3 million VND/kg today (an increase of 400,000 VND); the price of fresh squid has increased by 100,000 VND/kg compared to before; mackerel, which was previously 160,000 VND/kg, has now increased to 210,000 VND/kg (whole mackerel); sea bream, which was 110,000 VND/kg, has now also increased to 160,000 VND/kg...

Boats fishing close to shore are still operating but the output is not up to par. Photo: Viet Hung

“The reason for the increase in seafood prices in recent days is that fewer fishing boats have gone out to sea due to continuous rain and storms. In addition, in recent months, many fishing boats have returned with ineffective catches, resulting in low output, making essential seafood unavailable to the market,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh, a seafood purchasing facility in Son Hai commune (Quynh Luu).

In Hoang Mai town, dozens of fishing boats operating near shore have been operating continuously in recent days, however, according to fishermen in Quynh Phuong ward, the catch is not high. Each fishing trip takes 4-5 days to return to shore, traders from all districts such as Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Nghia Dan... gather to compete to buy goods for storage and freezing.

The sea is rough and seafood is scarce, so the prices of all goods have increased sharply. Photo: Viet Hung

A trader in Dien Chau said that essential seafood products such as fresh squid, shrimp, fish... are not as abundant as before, so the price has also increased from 20,000 - 30,000 VND/kg compared to before...