Fishermen in Nghe An are in the season of harvesting northern fish.

Northern fishing incidentFor the fishermen of Quynh Luu district, the fishing season begins in October of the lunar calendar year and lasts until February of the lunar calendar year.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, owner of fishing boat NA 90589 TS in Hamlet 8, Son Hai Commune, shared: “During the northern fishing season, the seafood catches yield high productivity and value. Shrimp, fish, and squid caught this season are all large and plump. According to seafaring experience, during the northern fishing season, there is usually heavy rain, and water from inland rivers flows into the sea carrying plankton, causing various types of seafood to swim against the current in search of food, so fishermen will cast their nets to catch them.”

The northern fishing season yields high productivity, with seafood products of export value. Photo: Viet Hung

According to Mr. Hai, during the first fishing trip of the northern fishing season, his boat caught 150 kg of dried squid, which was dried on board, and 1 ton of tuna. The most valuable catch was the squid, which currently sells for an average of 900,000 to 1.2 million VND per kg of dried squid (an increase of 200,000 - 500,000 VND per kg compared to three months ago). The 150 kg of dried squid brought Mr. Hai's boat an income of 150 million VND.

Son Hai commune, Quynh Luu district, has 110 offshore fishing vessels with a total capacity of 22,000 horsepower.Fishing industryIn Son Hai commune, this accounts for 60% of the total local income. Thanks to actively venturing out to sea, the commune's total catch from the beginning of the year until now has reached 2,300 tons, mainly dried squid, grouper, mackerel, scad, shrimp, etc., with a total value of 170 billion VND.

In the first 11 months of 2021, the entire district harvested nearly 63,000 tons of seafood. Photo: Hong Dien.

Mr. Hoang Son, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Son Hai commune, Quynh Luu district, said: “Entering the northern fishing season, to proactively secure human resources, the commune has encouraged laborers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to return to the locality to participate in fishing on boats. In addition, we have been educating fishermen to comply with the regulations of the Fisheries Law when going out to sea. The commune has strengthened inspections of food safety on fishing vessels; and encouraged boat owners to build cold storage compartments using PU material to freeze fresh products after harvesting.”

In Quynh Luu district, out of nearly 1,200 boats and ships, 800 are engaged in offshore fishing. Currently, 100% of Quynh Luu's offshore fishing vessels are equipped with fish finders, long-range communication equipment, and net management devices for operation at sea. In the first 11 months of 2021, the district harvested nearly 63,000 tons of seafood, exceeding the planned target of 69,400 tons. During the five months of the northern fishing season, Quynh Luu aims to catch 25,000-30,000 tons.

Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hang, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Quynh Luu district, said: To help fishermen work safely and efficiently at sea, Quynh Luu district is applying agricultural extension models to support fishing activities by installing LED lighting systems on boats. At the same time, a project applying high technology to preserve seafood after harvesting using liquid nitrogen has been proposed to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration and investment in the near future.

Fishermen in Quynh Luu and Hoang Mai districts are striving to catch over 50,000 tons of various seafood during the five-month fishing season. Photo: Hong Dien

And atHoang Mai townDuring this time, fishermen in localities such as Quynh Lap, Quynh Phuong, etc., are actively venturing out to sea to exploit marine resources.

Fisherman Ho Van Tu, from Quynh Lap commune (Hoang Mai town), said that to achieve high yields, their boats have invested in and purchased fishing gear, and increased the workforce for more efficient fishing. In addition, services providing fuel, necessities, and fish transportation operate continuously to meet the needs of fishermen's fishing trips. The boats operate approximately 90 nautical miles from the mainland to maximize efficiency and increase income for the crew members.

Fishermen repair their fishing gear after each trip to sea. Photo: Viet Hung

Hoang Mai town currently has over 998 fishing vessels, of which about 456 are used for offshore fishing. This year, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, seafood harvesting in the locality still achieved high yields.

Mr. Hoang Ngoc Thuy, Head of the Economic and Infrastructure Department of Hoang Mai town, said: "In the last months of the year, with the epidemic under control, fishermen actively went out to sea, resulting in high productivity and value. It is expected that by the end of December 2021, the entire town will have harvested 57,364 tons out of a planned 56,667 tons, an increase of 9.3% compared to last year. This northern fishing season, according to the plan, will yield approximately over 25,000 tons of seafood, accounting for 44.6% of the total annual production."