Many seafood processing facilities are at a standstill because boats are docked.

Present in Quynh Lap commune,Hoang Mai Town, we witnessed many fishing boats still lying on the shore. Not far away, a large area of ​​anchovy drying area was also empty due to lack of goods, production and business activities in this fishing port area were very quiet.

Many boats in Quynh Lap commune, Hoang Mai town are still anchored at the wharf, not going out to sea. Photo: QA

Mr. Dau Dinh Khanh, Quynh Lap commune said: "The seafaring profession has never been as difficult as it is now. Oil prices are high, before at 15,000 - 16,000 VND/liter, it was still profitable, but since the beginning of the year, it has reached 25,000 VND/liter, so there is only loss, not to mention the fact that the amount of seafood caught at this time is very low, so the number of boats on shore is still high. Due to not going fishing, the supply has decreased, the seafood processing industry has also stagnated...".

Coastal production facilities in Dien Chau district are also facing the same situation. The owner of Minh Thanh seafood sausage production facility in Dien Ngoc commune said: "My house is near the port, every time a ship returns to port, I also import from a few hundred kilograms to a ton of goods to put in the cold storage for gradual processing, however, since the beginning of March until now, more than half of the ships are at home, there is no goods so my facility has to temporarily close. Now if I want to operate, I have to wait for everyone to return to sea...".

The large anchovy drying area in Quynh Lap commune is empty due to lack of raw materials. Photo: XH

Not only seafood processing units, many fishing logistics service establishments are also struggling because their boats are grounded.

Mr. Tran Van Xuan, Dong Loc hamlet, Dien Ngoc commune sighed: "My family specializes in producing ice to supply to boats. Previously, there were 7 workers, producing about 200 ice blocks per day to supply to fishermen to chill seafood. However, we now have to temporarily stop because only a few boats have asked to buy about 10 - 20 blocks, a reduction of 80%, not enough to cover operating costs. Currently, the workers have been given time off to do other work...".

Seafood processing facilities in Dien Ngoc commune, Dien Chau have temporarily stopped operations due to lack of supply. Photo: QA

According to the authorities of Dien Ngoc commune, Dien Chau district, there are 3 fishmeal production facilities in the area, dozens of households working in seafood processing and fishing logistics. However, since the beginning of the year, production activities have been severely affected due to the lack of boats going to sea. Many facilities have closed down and stopped operating due to lack of raw materials. Although oil prices have recently decreased, they are still at a high level, with a few more boats going back to sea, but not significantly.

Mr. Xuan's family's ice production area had to stop operating, the machinery was rusted and damaged. Photo: QA

According to the reporter's investigation, the temporary suspension of seafood processing facilities has caused a decrease in seafood supply in the market, many coastal workers are unemployed and have to find other jobs. In addition, machinery that has not been used for a long time will rust, reduce productivity, and even break down...

Faced with that situation, seafood processing facilities,fishing logisticsforced to find adaptive solutions to survive in difficult times; some seafood processing facilities have had to source goods from other localities to maintain operations despite higher costs than importing locally. Many units have also applied workforce cuts and limited production. Above all, people want fuel prices to stabilize again so that fishermen can go to sea as before...