Fishermen consume seafood before tropical depression strengthens into storm

Viet Hung• DNUM_ADZAJZCABJ 10:19

(Baonghean.vn) - To focus on responding to the tropical depression that could strengthen into a storm, fishermen in Quynh Luu district (Nghe An) are focusing on selling seafood and securing boats to limit damage caused by storms.

On the morning of September 3, the weather was rainy, but at Lach Quen fishing port (Tien Thuy commune, Quynh Luu), seafood purchasing was still bustling. Although fishermen have not gone out to sea to fish since storm No. 4, many boats are still preserving seafood to sell in the following days.

Sau bão số 4 đến nay, bà con ngư dân chưa ra khơi đánh bắt nhưng nhiều tàu vẫn bảo quản hải sản để xuất bán. Ảnh Việt Hùng

Since storm No. 4, fishermen have not gone out to sea to fish, but many boats are still preserving seafood for sale. Photo: Viet Hung

On the day of returning to avoid storm No. 4, all boats were in a hurry to sell seafood, so the purchase price was lower than usual. Understanding the fishermen's psychology, traders forced down the price because of the storm. My boat had to preserve about a few hundred kilograms of small hairtail fish and sold it today, at a much higher price.

Fisherman Ho Tuan - crew member of fishing boat NA 90612 in Quynh Nghia commune

According to fishermen, on the day they returned to avoid storm No. 4, traders bought grade 1 hairtail fish for 70,000 VND/kg, smaller fish for 10,000 VND/kg; snakehead fish for 7,000 VND/kg; anchovies for 10,000 VND/kg; small squid for 50,000 VND/kg... But after the storm, the purchase price was higher. Specifically, grade 1 hairtail fish cost 92,000 VND/kg (up 20,000 VND/kg); small squid increased to 80,000 VND/kg compared to before.

Thương lái tập trung thu mua hải sản. Ảnh: Việt Hùng

Traders gather to buy seafood. Photo: Viet Hung

“Every fishing boat returning home to avoid the storm to sell seafood has to face traders forcing down prices; therefore, many boat owners have to preserve seafood and wait for prices to increase before selling. Today, everyone is focusing on selling seafood to prevent tropical depression, hoping for favorable weather so they can continue to go out to sea to fish,” said fisherman Nguyen Hong Minh in Tien Thuy commune.