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| A bumper fishing trip |
After a fishing trip lasting more than 10 days by the end of the year, Mr. Tran Van Chien's steel-hulled fishing boat in Phu Thuan Commune (Phu Vang) caught many tons of fish of all types. The main types of seafood are tuna, scad, hairtail, etc. Despite the low economic value, the output is large in return, so Mr. Chien's ship and many other fishing boats are profitable. For each trip, after deducting expenses, the ship owner makes a profit of more than 100 million VND, and a crew member’s income is 7 - 10 million VND per trip.
Mr. Chien said, recently, inshore seafood has become increasingly scarce, especially fish species with economic value such as mackerel, sailfish, etc. There is no other way, Mr. Chien's ship and many other ships have to diversify their fishing gear and nets, reach out to sea, and cling to sea for days. Most of Mr. Chien's fishing trips are to remote areas, with relatively abundant seafood resources. In long-term sea-clinging conditions, a good haul of fish of high economic value can be netted.
Fisherman Do Van Thanh in Vinh Thanh Commune (Phu Vang) said that the rising gasoline prices, at times one and a half times higher, result in an increase in many goods prices for offshore activities. However, many ships still go out to sea and cling to sea for days on end, which achieves efficiency.
Mr. Thanh said to operate effectively, we have to constantly cling to the sea and “track" the flow of fish. The bottom gill net fleet in Vinh Thanh Commune has achieved this. Many ships have an average revenue of billions of VND per ship; excluding expenses, each ship earns an average profit of over 1 billion VND."
Dr. Nguyen Quang Vinh Binh, Director of the Provincial Department of Fisheries, judged that although this is not the most effective year, this year the fleet of offshore fishing boats in Vinh Thanh and the province in general is assessed as more effective than in recent years. Aside from the gill net fishing fleet, a purse seine fishing fleet combined with light operates effectively. Many boats earn an average revenue of 1 - 1.5 billion VND per year, with profits of 500 million to over 1 billion VND.
To achieve the results in marine exploitation activities, aside from the efforts and initiatives of fishing boat owners, the fisheries industry focuses on implementing many synchronous and positive solutions. Many boats invest in modern fishing gear and equipment such as nets, hooks, fish detectors, etc. in offshore waters. The fisheries sector issued the fishing licenses to 35 boats to facilitate fishing in the entire province in accordance with the law, including 30 new licenses and 5 reissues. 333 fishing boats with a length of 15 meters or more were granted certificates of food safety and hygiene. The assessment of 26 fishing boats is periodically carried out.
The total number of registered fishing boats currently in use is 676, 433 of which are offshore fishing boats with a length of 15 meters or more. In 2023, 392 fishing boats registered to fish in offshore waters, and to date, there have been about 1,439 fishing trips in offshore waters. Fishing activities in offshore waters not only achieve economic efficiency but also contribute to strengthening the national defense and security in Paracel waters.
The fight against IUU fishing (illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities) is synchronously and drastically implemented in accordance with the plan of action by the Central and local governments.
The results showed that the fishing boats in Thua Thien Hue did not violate illegal fishing in foreign waters. Most fishing boats are equipped with the Vessels Monitoring Equipment (VMS) in accordance with the law. Upgrading and investing in complete equipment at the shore station and the Fisheries Control Representative Office at Thuan An Fishing Port receive attention, basically ensuring operations for the strict control of fishing boats.
Since early this year, the competent authorities have conducted the inspection of fishing boats to and from the port, including 1,292/2,082 fishing boats to the port (reaching 62.02%) and 1,298/1,921 fishing boats from the port ( reaching 67.57%). The fisheries surveillance continues to be carried out in line with the plan to strengthen the enforcement of fisheries laws, especially to prevent and combat IUU fishing.
The target of the fisheries industry in 2024 is to reach 42,000 tons of fishery exploitation output in association with the target of developing fishery into an important economic sector of the province.