Fishermen in Hoang Mai begin the anchovy fishing season.

(Baonghean.vn) - At this time, fishermen in Quynh Lap commune, Hoang Mai town, are entering the anchovy fishing season; the advantage of this fishing method is that it yields a large quantity, and the product's output and prices are stable.

Mr. Cao Van Nam's fishing boat, NA 99 699 TS, has just docked. The crew members are busily transferring trays full of anchovies onto the dock to sell to traders. Mr. Nam said that the boat has 14 workers, and this trip lasted 4 days, yielding a catch of 14 tons. After deducting expenses, each worker earned over 2 million VND.

At the beginning of the season, dozens of vessels began fishing in the Gulf of Tonkin fishing grounds, about 30-40 nautical miles from the shore. The fishing period usually lasts only 2-4 days.

Anchovies are being unloaded from the ship onto the dock. Photo: Nguyen Van

Each fishing vessel has a minimum catch of 7 tons, and vessels operating for 4 days can achieve 14-15 tons. Anchovy prices remain stable compared to the same period last year; currently, grade 1 anchovies are sold at the dock for 14,000 VND/kg, and grade 2 anchovies for 12,000 VND/kg.

Quynh Lap commune currently has a steaming and drying system with a capacity of tens of tons per day, so the fish caught by fishermen are quickly purchased on the spot. The anchovies after steaming and drying are mainly consumed in the Chinese market. After deducting expenses, each worker can earn from 500,000 to 700,000 VND per day at sea.

The owners of the anchovy purchasing agencies buy the fish right at the dock. Photo: Thu Hien.

The anchovy fishing season lasts from now until the end of February of the following lunar year, and this is considered the main business season for the fishermen of Quynh Lap.

Nguyen Van - Thu Hien