Quynh Luu fishermen hit the jackpot with a catch of hairtail fish for export.

Hundreds of trays full of needlefish at Lach Quen fishing port. Photo by Thach Quynh

At Lach Quen fishing port, Quynh Thuan commune (Quynh Luu) these days the atmosphere is always bustling; every day many fishing boats with capacity from 500 - 800 CV dock with a big catch of needlefish.

A fisherman, nimbly moving trays of hairtail fish onto a refrigerated truck for processing, said: "During hairtail fish season, any boat that comes back will bring back 300-400 trays (equivalent to 1-1.5 tons of hairtail fish). Some boats can bring back more than 3-4 tons of fish in a 3-4 day trip; after deducting costs and labor, each boat makes hundreds of millions of dong in profit.

During the needlefish season, there are boats that can catch 3-4 tons of needlefish on a 3-4 day trip. Photo by Thach Quynh

According to an experienced fisherman in Duc Long village, Quynh Thuan commune, to catch this fish effectively, the fisherman must understand the water level. Fishing time is mainly at night but the most concentrated fishing time is from 2 to 4 am.

A trader who specializes in purchasing hairtail at Lach Quen fishing port said that every day our facility purchases 3-4 tons of hairtail at prices ranging from 80,000-100,000 VND/kg. The fishing boats that docked this time generally have large, fresh hairtail.

Hairtail fish is a seafood with high economic value; currently, traders buy it at the wharf for 80,000 - 100,000 VND/kg. Photo by Thach Quynh

It is known that the season for catching whitefish for export usually starts from the 7th lunar month and lasts until February of the following year. Currently, the season for catching whitefish has been over a month, but Quynh Luu fishermen have already reaped a relatively large yield, bringing in high economic value.