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High costs, low catch force fishermen to sell up
Many boats are for sale as fishermen in the southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province’s Phuoc Tinh Commune find it too costly to put to sea.
Fishermen are suffering losses in contrast to recent seasons when they enjoyed bumper catches.
For six months a local fisherman, Nguyen Ton Nien, has tried to sell his two vessels a because he cannot afford the fuel costs.
"Since the petrol price increases in 2007-08 (including a peak of 30 per cent last summer), I have lost more than VND1 billion (US$57,000) and I am unable to invest in offshore fishing," Nien said.
No choice
After fishing for nearly 20 years, Nien said he had no choice but to quit due to the huge financial loss and lower catches. He paid about VND7 million ($400) to have his vessels pulled onshore. Daily boat parking costs are VND40,000.
The head of the commune’s fisheries division, Pham Tinh, said a fifth of the local boats made a profit this year. Twice as many broke even but the remainder suffered losses.
Most loses were more than VND100 million ($5,700) while the rest were at least dozens of million of dong each
"The fishermen take into account the initial expenses for profit and loss but forget the depreciation of equipment and vessels," Tinh said.
"If so, most of them lost money."
Commune authority statistics show that after the first trip of the year, 10 to 15 per cent of the fleet was tied up.
The rest of the owners borrowed from banks and relatives to buy petrol and materials for offshore trips.
Tinh said the peak year for fishing was 2005 with a fleet of up to 1,150 vessels.
"Now, there are 1,000 fishing offshore and more than 300 fishing near shore," Tinh said.
About 40 vessels were pulled onshore and advertised for sale last year, he said.
Phuoc Tinh Ships and Boats Company director Nguyen Viet Khai said it was the worse year for fishing and shipbuilding since 1992.
"From last year, my company hasn’t received any contracts to build ships while it was a dozen previously," Khai said.
"No one is willing to pay VND4-5 billion ($228,500-285,700) for a couple of ships in the context of losses like this," he said.
Petrol has decreased about 30 per cent in the last year but most fishermen in Phuoc Tinh are poor.
"It is because of the decreasing fishing yields," said Tinh. Prices fell alongside petrol but other expenses increased.
To the end of March, Phuoc Tinh caught about 15,000 tonnes of fish.
Vo Minh Fishing Vessels Group head Tran Ngoc Dung said prices of some species fell from about VND14,000-15,000 per kilo to VND8,000.
The exception was cuttlefish which fetched VND150,000-170,000 per kilo.
Dung said total expenses for a couple of vessels to go on fishing trips was about VND700 million ($40,000) but returns only met initial expenses.
Depleted fisheries were also making it difficult for fishermen, including Pham Minh Hoang, who said that in previous seasons a month offshore could fill his five holds. This year a 40-day trip could fill less than two.
Thousands of fishermen in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces of Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang are also being hurt by smaller catches.
Many returned with small catches and don’t plan to head offshore again.
Fisherman Nam Mam in Soc Trang Province’s Trung Binh Commune said his latest month-long trip landed 20 tonnes, about a third his normal catch.
"I’ve sold them for VND30 million ($1,700) while the initial expenses were VND80 million ($4,500).
Many fishermen in Bac Lieu Province’s Nha Mat Commune report catches half the size of previous months.
VietNamNet, Viet Nam News
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