Despite billions of investment, the fishing port in Cua Lo is still unfinished.
(Baonghean) - Cua Lo Port has been planned to become a national port of type I, but for a long time, many fishing boats of fishermen have been anchored at the wharf, affecting the activities of cargo ships entering and leaving the port.
ENCROACHMENT FOR MANY YEARS HAS NOT BEEN PROCESSED
At Cua Lo port, for a long time, there has been a phenomenon of about 100 large and small capacity ships from Nghi Tan and Nghi Thuy wards regularly encroaching and anchoring at wharfs 4 and 5. This encroachment of ships poses a high risk of insecurity for cargo ships entering and leaving the port. This situation has been discussed and resolved by many competent agencies and local authorities, but has not yet been resolved completely.
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| Nghi Thuy fishing boat anchored at Cua Lo Port violating maritime safety. Photo: Tran Chau |
Pier No. 4 is located right on the left edge of the port's channel, so the presence of many fishing boats frequently anchoring and entering this area always poses a potential risk to maritime safety. In fact, there have been collisions between seagoing ships and fishing boats at the port, causing fires in fishing boats and ships when occupying Pier No. 4.
Meanwhile, wharf No. 5 in Cua Lo port area has been put into operation since the end of 2018, capable of receiving ships with a capacity of 30,000 DWT to dock to serve the economic development needs of the region and Nghe An province.
However, for many years now, fishing boats have been illegally anchored here, seriously affecting the exploitation and transportation of goods. Conflicts and (minor) collisions between ships and fishing boats occur frequently, making shipping lines very hesitant to come to Cua Lo port and possibly increasing costs for investors whose goods are exported through Cua Lo port when resolving collisions that occur.
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| Fishermen's fishing boats anchored and occupying Cua Lo wharf. Photo: Viet Phuong |
To solve the difficulties of Cua Lo port, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee and authorities at all levels and functional agencies have invested in building a separate fishing wharf upstream of Cua Lo port. Up to now, some items of the fishing wharf have been completed but the infrastructure has not been ensured to be synchronous. Therefore, the number of fishing boats of local fishermen are still anchored and occupying Cua Lo wharf.
NEED TO COMPLETE FISHING WAREHOUSES FOR FISHERMEN SOON
Nghi Tan fishing port was invested with the goal of relocating fishing boats encroaching on Cua Lo wharf; ensuring 300 fishing boats anchor to avoid storms, invested by Cua Lo town People's Committee (approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 2110/QD.UBND - DTXD dated June 13, 2012).
The project includes: dredging of the channel for boats to anchor, anchorage for fishing boats No. 1 and No. 2, water area, and anchorage for fishing boats (temporary berth). However, after many years of construction, it is still not completed.
Nghi Tan fishing port was built in 2005. In 2012, Cua Lo town invested in upgrading it to relocate the number of boats anchored at Cua Lo fishing port, but the current wharf can only accommodate small-capacity boats; the structure of the wharf is not suitable for large-capacity offshore fishing boats. That is one of the reasons why fishermen refuse to leave the spontaneous wharf at Cua Lo port to anchor at Nghi Tan fishing port.
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| Ships anchored at Nghi Tan fishing port. Photo: Viet Phuong |
It is known that, to complete the fishing port and put it into operation, in 2018, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee approved the adjustment and supplement of the project: Construction of embankment to prevent landslides on the right bank of Nam Cam River and a place to anchor ships and boats to avoid natural disasters in Nghi Tan ward, Cua Lo town (phase 2).
The total investment of the project is 76 billion VND, with the People's Committee of Cua Lo town as the investor. Currently, phase 2 has completed 5 roads, dredged the waterway and the investor is submitting to the superiors to add a wharf item worth 14 billion VND.
In fact, the current pier is 3.5m wide, which is too narrow, not suitable for the actual transportation and loading and unloading of fish and goods onto and off ships. Therefore, in order to promote investment efficiency and facilitate the loading and unloading of fish, the People's Committee of Cua Lo town would like to adjust the pier item to ensure a place for ships, boats and fish transportation. We are submitting a request for additional funding to implement the construction of the pier this year, and soon have a plan to relocate fishing boats anchored in Cua Lo port.
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| The current Nghi Tan wharf is not suitable for mooring large capacity ships. Photo: Viet Phuong |
Cua Lo Port has been planned to become a national type I hub port, one of the projects to concretize the program and plan to implement Resolution No. 26 of the Politburo on the direction and tasks of Nghe An development until 2020.
In order for the port to develop to its full potential and accommodate ships of over 10,000 DWT with full load, it is urgent to move fishing boats out of the port area. In order to effectively promote the invested projects, ensure maritime safety and security in accordance with regulations and facilitate local fishermen to develop their fishing industry, it is necessary to quickly complete the anchorage area for fishermen.