|
Fishermen return to shore with nets bulging after Tet holiday
Fishermen reported bumper catches when they resumed fishing after Tet (Lunar new year), earning them big profits but also causing fish prices to drop.
In the southernmost province of Ca Mau, fishermen in U Minh District's Khanh Hoi Commune have returned to shore with their boats full of fish, shrimp and cuttlefish.
Nguyen Hoang Mai, chairman of the commune People's Committee, said each boat owner earned a profit of VND30-50 million (US$1,600-2,700).
"No boat suffers losses," he said.
Local seafood buyers said they purchased five to 10 tonnes every day, double the quantity each bought before Tet which fell in the middle of last month.
Fishermen in the central region – which is renowned for deep-sea species like tuna, marlin, mackerel, swordfish, Indian mackerel and anchovy, which fetch a lot of money – have also reported good catches.
Ngo Tho of the central province of Quang Ngai's Duc Pho District said his boat with 12 fishermen aboard caught around two tonnes of tuna and marlin on its first trip, much more than normal.
"Fishermen often have a bumper catch after Tet but this year they have caught more fish than other years because of the favourable weather conditions," Tho explained.
Nguyen Tan Ngoc, Director of Da Nangs Thuan Phuoc Fishing Port Management Company, said the port had received around 20 fishing boats with 150-200 tonnes of fish daily, much higher than at the same time last year.
Tuna accounted for more than half, he said.
Ca com Hoa Lai, a species of anchovy which is exported and used to make fish sauce, have appeared in large quantities in the waters off Binh Dinh Province.
Each vessel in Binh Dinh has hauled in one to three tonnes of the fish every night, earning a profit of VND4-5 million.
But this abundance has sent the prices of fish and other creatures falling.
For example, on Cua Dai Beach in the central province of Quang Nam, cuttlefish costs VND40,000-60,000 per kilogramme compared to VND100,000 normally.
Tuna prices have fallen from VND70,000-80,000 to VND45,000-50,000 in the central province of Quang Ngai.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Aquatic Resources Exploitation and Protection Department has asked provinces and cities to improve the dissemination of information about fishing grounds.
It has also instructed them to set up fishing co-operatives and groups to transport fuel and ice for preserving catches by boats fishing offshore and transporting the catches to land.
This would help fishing boats reduce costs, it said.
In the first two months of the year, fishing vessels have hauled in 410,000 tonnes of catch, 3 per cent higher than in the same period last year, according to the ministry.
vietnamnews
|
