Nghe An fishermen install iron wings on 4-pole boats to go offshore and stick to the sea

At this time, the fishing industry in Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai town... has slowed down compared to previous years due to low fishing efficiency. However, many large ships are still persistent, finding ways to go offshore, expanding fishing grounds for effective exploitation. In particular, recently, many offshore ships have changed their wooden fishing poles to install giant iron pipes (fishermen call them "iron wings" - PV) to make better use of them when catching seafood at sea.

Quynh Luu fishermen are replacing wooden poles with iron poles. Photo: VH

Met Captain Ho Hung, owner of fishing boat NA 90530TS in Quynh Nghia commune (Quynh Luu) while he and his crew were refurbishing the 4-pole fishing boat. On this boat, 4 wooden poles as big as house pillars were gradually dismantled.

Fisherman Ho Hung said, we will replace these 4 wooden poles with iron poles to make it easier to go in and out when fishing. While using wooden poles is heavy, the weight is large, so it is easy to collide with the cabin of the boat when there is a strong wind.

To replace these “iron wings” for the ship, fishermen have to spend more than 100 million VND. Each iron pole has a length of 26 - 34m (depending on the ship), diameter 222; while using wooden poles, the length is shorter, about 21m. Due to the short size, this is also the reason why seafood exploitation is not very effective.

Iron poles have replaced the wooden poles of the past. Photo: Viet Hung

“When using 4-pole iron nets for exploitation, first of all, it is safe at sea because they are 1/3 lighter than the weight of the previous wooden nets. In addition, they will have a longer life than wooden nets. What is special is that these “iron wings” are crafted as desired, so they have outstanding length; when operating, the 4 nets are spread out to sea, the area is expanded, thus increasing exploitation efficiency. These 4 nets will be responsible for reaching down to the sea to hold all the discovered seafood into the net”, fisherman Nguyen Van Tung in Tien Thuy commune (Quynh Luu) shared.

According to research, in Nghe An, there are currently 3,521 fishing boats, including more than 1,500 offshore fishing vessels with jobs such as lead-pull seine, 4-pole and 2-pole fishing...; of which about 70% of the vessels are 4-pole fishing vessels.

In Quynh Luu district, after the 4-pole fishing system was at risk of deterioration, about 40% of the total number of offshore vessels were simultaneously replaced with iron (zinc) poles to serve exploitation. According to fishermen, using these "iron wings" at sea brings peace of mind because there is no fear of collision, increases exploitation output, and creates a harmonious connection for crew members when operating and using.

Ships with iron wings are sailing out to sea. Photo: Viet Hung

Mr. Bui Van Phuc - Vice Chairman of Tien Thuy Commune People's Committee (Quynh Luu) said that the whole commune has 324 boats, of which more than 70% are offshore fishing boats specializing in 4-pole fishing. Since some boats have replaced wooden poles with iron poles, which have proven to be more effective, fishermen are excited. Without this initiative, fishermen would have to search for and purchase eucalyptus trees to make poles, which is very difficult, while finding the right wooden poles that meet the requirements is even more difficult because this type of wood is rare.