Quynh Luu: Exploitation and protection of aquatic resources

(Baonghean) -Reducing the density of offshore fishing vessels, increasing offshore fishing vessels, and changing the type of seafood exploitation... are ways for fishermen in Quynh Luu (Nghe An) to firmly stick to the sea, increase productivity and output, while contributing to preserving the ecological environment and exploiting seafood resources in a sustainable and effective manner...

Quynh Phuong (Quynh Luu) is currently one of the communes with the largest number of boats and the most diverse occupations in the province. Among them are fishing occupations with high economic efficiency such as trawling, gillnetting, crab fishing..., especially pink trawling, squid fishing is a newly developed occupation, with some boats earning up to 180-200 million VND per trip. The conversion of occupations not only reduces the number of small-capacity boats operating in coastal and inshore fishing but also develops offshore fishing. The whole commune currently has 615 boats with a total capacity of 35,500 CV, of which over 2/3 are offshore fishing boats, 24 boats are granted VO certificates allowing them to operate in common territorial waters. In 2011, the Quynh Phuong commune government organized for fishermen to visit and learn about seafood fishing models in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong..., and at the same time directed people to develop new high-income jobs such as fishing for catfish and crab.

Fishermen Quynh Phuong prepare to go to sea

Not only in Quynh Phuong but also in many other localities in Quynh Luu district such as Quynh Long, Quynh Nghia, Tien Thuy... fishermen are making efforts to upgrade their boats, invest in installing synchronous maritime equipment: GPS, fish finders, communication radios... to diversify seafood exploitation with many conversion models, typically lead-pull seine fishing, 4-pole seine fishing (4-pole seine fishing), offshore fishing applied to boats with a capacity of 45-75CV, employing 8-10 workers, for high income.

As a district with 34 km of coastline, 3 convenient inlets for ships to enter and exit, 12 coastal communes with over 2,000 boats, accounting for 2/3 of the total number of boats in the province participating in seafood fishing, of which nearly 200 boats are licensed to participate in seafood exploitation in the international common fishing area. Quynh Luu has proposed many solutions to support fishermen to change their jobs to protect and exploit the potential of the marine economy such as reducing the density of boats in the offshore area, increasing the number of boats exploiting the offshore area, investing, purchasing, building new boats, upgrading boats with a capacity of 90CV or more equipped with modern technology, qualified to go far offshore in fishing grounds nationwide. Training and coaching for crew members on permitted fishing grounds and seafood fishing has also been of interest to all levels right from the beginning of the fishing season. The district directs communes to restore and regenerate seafood resources such as releasing sandbars to create shelters for fish. Arrange multi-craft on board, prevent monoculture, completely eliminate tattooing and trawling activities in coastal areas, gradually reduce trawling with capacity under 50 CV, squid fishing. Encourage the development of purse seine, offshore net, 4-pole gong trawling, gillnet, trawl, offshore trawling, offshore fishing, introduce new crafts such as ocean tuna fishing... The target by 2020 is the total output of 30,000 tons/year, of which the offshore area accounts for 20%, the mid-offshore and offshore area 40-45%, the offshore area 30-40%, products with export value reach 45-50%.

Buying fish at Quynh Phuong fishing port.

In the long term, Quynh Luu district plans to invest in building Lach Con fishing port, promoting the effectiveness of Lach Quen fishing port. Encourage the rapid development of a fleet of sea service vessels to promptly supply fuel, ice, and food logistics to help workers reduce costs during sea trips. Build large-scale purchasing and processing facilities, and freezers to promptly purchase products and stabilize raw material prices for processing factories.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dinh - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Quynh Luu district said: In the production process, the decisive factor for economic efficiency is the team of technical workers in the fishing industry. Therefore, every year the district has a plan to train business management skills for the staff of collective economic units. Training and granting national captain certificates to owners of fishing vessels with engine capacity of over 45 CV. Financial support for fishermen to visit, study and change to new occupations with high economic value and fishing boats to change from fishing to aquaculture, seafood processing, etc. Thanks to the right direction, fishermen are confident to stick to their boats, stick to the sea, and go offshore. The offshore fishing trips have brought back thousands of tons of seafood with high economic efficiency, the lives of people in coastal areas are increasingly improved. The use of fishing gear with improper sizes and meshes, the use of explosives, electric shock fishing, and the habit of exploiting offshore and coastal areas are increasingly reduced. In the first 6 months of the year alone, fishermen in the Quynh Luu sea area have exploited more than 15 thousand tons of seafood of all kinds...

Khanh Ly - My Ha