Mekong Delta fishermen earn high profits from bumper harvest

HO CHI MINH CITY — Fishermen in the Mekong Delta have earned high profits from their near shore and offshore fishing trips with some having a bumper harvest and far more than last year’s catches during the same period.

Fish trading at the Gành Hào port in Bạc Liêu Province’s Đông Hải District. – VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Sử

In Trà Vinh Province, hundreds of fishing boats returned to Định An fishing port in Trà Cú District’s Định An Town with a bumper harvest between February 20 and 25.

Trần Công Đức, a fishing boat owner in Định An Town, said his five fishermen went offshore on February 7 and caught more than three tonnes of fish and other aquatic species after 12 days.

He earned a profit of about VNĐ20 million (US$860) from the trip.

Phan Thanh Hòa, a member of the Thành Công offshore fishing co-operative group in Định An Town, said his group’s five fishing ships each earned between VNĐ35 -50 million ($1,500 - 2,150) from the last trip.

The five fishing boats recently docked at the Định An fishing port after 15 days of fishing offshore. The quantity of fish and other aquatic species that the fishing boats caught was 20 - 30 per cent more than the average made during trips last year, he said.

Thừa Thịnh, head of the Trà Vinh Fisheries Sub-department’s Fisheries Resources Development and Exploitation Division, said the province’s offshore fishing boats had good catch after the Tết holiday, with 53 fishing co-operatives and a total of 1,100 fishing boats.

Most co-operative groups operate well, exchanging information about fishing grounds, markets and prices, he said, adding that such groups have higher profits than fishing boats that operate individually.

Trà Vinh authorities have encouraged offshore fishing boats to set up more co-operative groups to increase profits.

In Bạc Liêu Province, fishing boats that fish ruốc (a type of small shrimp) near shore have a high profit up to VNĐ 5 – 7 million ($215 - 300) a day.

Ruốc have appeared in large quantities along the coast and near river mouths this year, according to fishermen. Fresh ruốc is sold at a price of VNĐ20,000 a kilogramme.

Many fishing boats have switched to catch ruốc because of the high price and bumper harvest.

The province’s offshore fishing boats had a profit of VNĐ7 – 10 million ($300 - 430) for a trip lasting between five and seven days.  

Traders have purchased fish and other aquatic species at 10 -20 per cent higher price compared to last month, according to fishing boat owners.

Trịnh Hoài Thanh, deputy director of the Bạc Liêu Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said local authorities registered many fishing boats and given notebooks for diaries and instructions to boat owners and captains.

Bạc Liêu has a fishing ground of more than 20,000sq.km and more than 1,200 fishing boats. The grounds now have fish and other aquatic species for fishing year round, providing good income for fishermen.

Bạc Liêu is expected to catch more than 7,600 tonnes of fish and other aquatic species in the first two months of the year, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In Tiền Giang Province, dozens of logistic fishing boats have docked at Mỹ Tho and Vàm Láng fishing ports to reload more than 200 tonnes of fish and other aquatic species caught by the province’s offshore fishing boats, which resumed fishing after Tết after three months of not fishing on sea. The province’s fishing boats catch mostly scad and Indian mackerel.