Fishermen in Hoang Mai strike it rich with mackerel.

(Baonghean.vn) - The fishing fleet of Project 67 in Hoang Mai town had a bumper catch of mackerel, with many boats earning nearly 400 million VND after a single fishing trip.

On the morning of April 7th, at Lach Corn wharf, many fishing boats from Hoang Mai town docked, laden with various types of fish, including many high-value export seafood. In particular, the fishing fleet under Project 67 had a bumper catch of mackerel, earning between 200 and 300 million VND per trip, with some boats earning nearly 400 million VND.

From Lach Corn wharf, we followed a fisherman's small boat, a traditional basket boat used to transport fish from the ships to the dock. About 100 meters away, many fishing boats were lined up side by side, waiting for traders to come and buy their catch.

On the wooden boat NA 99997 TS, owned by Mr. Phan Van Khuyen from Tan Hai hamlet, the crew members are busily transferring fish from the cold storage to the deck, then further transferring them to smaller boats for transport ashore to sell to traders. Despite having just completed a long fishing trip, the joy of a bountiful catch of mackerel is evident on the faces of every fisherman.

Veteran fisherman Hoang Duc Phuc from Tan Hai hamlet, along with other fishermen from boat 67, transfers mackerel from the cold storage to shore. Photo: Hoang Van

Mr. Khuyen said: "Previously, I saw people in the North fishing for mackerel and achieving high economic returns, but I didn't have the capital to build a large ship, so I used to fish for small fish like scad. Now, thanks to the loan support from Project 67, I was able to build a large ship with a capacity of 822 horsepower, worth over 12 billion VND, with 40% of the capital contributed by my family. We specialize in gillnet fishing for mackerel. We launched our first trip at the end of 2016, and on average, each trip brings in over 200 million VND. On this particular trip, after setting sail, we encountered wind, so the ship took shelter at Bach Long Vi Island. When the wind subsided, we started fishing and within 8 days caught more than 500 mackerel, with a total yield of 2.5 tons."

Our conversation with Mr. Khuyen was interrupted when the crew needed his help to move a giant fish weighing over 200 kilograms onto the deck. After a struggle, the enormous fish was finally transferred from the cold storage to the deck with the combined efforts of three crew members from a neighboring ship.

Noticing our surprise at seeing the giant fish for the first time, Mr. Khuyen explained: "Occasionally, the boat catches fish this big. This is a giant tuna, nearly 3 meters long and weighing over 200 kg. With the current selling price at the dock at 60,000 VND/kg, shortly after docking, the fish was sold for 12 million VND to a trader. Mackerel is currently priced at 140,000 VND/kg, so the total income was 350 million VND. After deducting 70 million VND in expenses, each part of the crew and fishermen earned nearly 13 million VND."

Working together to transfer the giant fish onto the boat. Photo: Hoang Van

Right next to Mr. Khuyen's boat is the fishing vessel NA 90546 belonging to Mr. Truong Cong Tuan, from Tan Hai hamlet, specializing in net fishing for scad and other export-quality fish such as catfish and barramundi. Today, after 15 days of fishing, this is the third time Mr. Tuan has brought his boat to shore to sell his catch, including two trips to the Bach Long Vi and Cat Ba island areas, with a total yield of 6 tons and an income of nearly 300 million VND. Each crew member on the boat received a share of over 10 million VND.

Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet, a crew member on Mr. Tuan's boat, said that since the beginning of the year, every fishing trip has been successful, bringing in significantly more income than in previous years, so the crew is very excited. While chatting, Mr. Viet pulled back a small tray of seahorses from the tarp and showed it to us, saying, "It may look like there are only a few, but they sell for 50,000 dong each. Even with just a few, this alone is worth 5-6 million dong. The fishermen in Quynh Phuong have many trades; they always have 3-4 different types of nets on board. When one type of fishing isn't profitable, they switch to another, so they always have an income."

Not only the boats of Mr. Khuyen and Mr. Tuan, but since the Lunar New Year, 12 fishing boats specializing in gillnet fishing, built under Project 67 in Quynh Phuong ward - Hoang Mai town (including 2 iron boats), have all had very successful fishing trips. This has made the fishermen very happy, encouraging them to continue investing in fishing gear and confidently staying at sea.

Fisherman Hoang Quoc Viet's joy at his successful catch. Photo: Hoang Van

In Quynh Lap commune, fishing vessels, mainly operating around Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong, and fishing grounds in Quang Binh province, often dock at ports near their fishing grounds to sell their catch or transfer it to service vessels for processing facilities in Quynh Lap commune. This allows for more frequent fishing trips, increasing both the yield and value of each trip.

Mr. Le Ba Ky, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Quynh Lap commune, added: "From the beginning of the year until now, fishermen in Quynh Lap have harvested about 7,000 tons of various seafood, worth over 100 billion VND. On average, fishermen earn 6.5 million VND per month. In particular, the fishing boat of fisherman Nguyen Van Hoa in Quyet Tam village earned 1.4 billion VND in March, with each worker receiving 43 million VND; the boat of fisherman Tran Xuan Thap in Tan Minh village earned 120 million VND per worker per month"...

Some fishermen catch seahorses, which are of high economic value. (Photo: Nguyen Van)

In March alone, fishermen in Hoang Mai town harvested 8,000 tons of various seafood, bringing the total production in the first quarter to over 1,500 tons, valued at 237 billion VND, reaching 25.11% of the plan and increasing by 5.39% compared to the same period last year. Prices of harvested products are quite stable, with guaranteed outlets and no instances of unsold or surplus stock. Currently, at the dock, export-quality barracuda is priced at 100,000 VND/kg, red snapper at 40,000 VND/kg, squid at 40,000 VND/kg, mackerel at 140,000 VND/kg, silver pomfret at 40,000 VND/kg, and squid at 160,000 VND/kg…

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Nguyen Van