Future for sustainable fishery: Expectations in the new year

Sailing away at the beginning of the year

Present at Cai Xa Cong port (Ha Phong ward, Ha Long city, Quang Ninh) in the first days of the year, the reporter group could feel the urgent, bustling atmosphere, along with joy and excitement in each action and eye of Quang Ninh fishermen.

Early in the morning, Mr. Tong Van Que (40 years old, residing in Ha Phong ward) was present on the familiar ship. Smiling naively, Mr. Que shared, "My family had 3 generations of seagoing, from my grandparents and then transmitted to my life. From a young age, I was used to floating on the water. When I was a little older, I got an apprenticeship and self-caught shrimp and fish to make a living. I do not know when I considered the ship as my second home."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Que and his son transported his furniture to the ship to be ready for the sea trip. Stroking the "comrade" with his tanned hands, Mr. Que cheerfully introduced, "I have just bought this ship for a few years; the total value is more than VND 250 million. Since I had this new ship, I have felt much more secure, not having to worry about repair after each trip." For him, the ship is not only a means to bring income but also an indispensable member of the family.

In order to prepare for the upcoming sea journey, Mr. Que has bought a lot of necessities, such as food, drinking water, personal items, etc. Right after arranging furniture on the ship, Mr. Que immediately cleaned and started the ship and the net-pulling system to both check the quality of the mesh and promptly detect unfortunate incidents to overcome them.

"Before every trip, I have to check everything carefully because 'in the vast sky, no one can anticipate.' Each of my trips usually lasts 10-15 days with 3 members, including my wife and son," Mr. Que said.

Mr. Que calculated, "This time is mainly squid fishing, in addition to being able to catch some small fish species to increase income." With his experience, Mr. Que easily locates the convenient waters to catch and the appropriate time for the right flow of the species.

Right next to Mr. Que's ship is the ship anchoring position of Mr. Pham Van Hien (living in Ha Phong ward). At this time, like Mr. Que, Mr. Hien is also busy checking his furniture to promptly sail away at the beginning of the afternoon.

With a small ship, Mr. Hien only caught in the coastal areas with some main types such as rabbitfish, cowfish, and squid. "Depending on the season, we will change the fishing method. Sometimes my wife and I work hard to catch barnacles to sell to traders for more income," said Mr. Hien.

Seagoing also has many hardships, especially when natural disasters are always lurking and can suddenly come. Sharing about the times in the dangerous situation, Mr. Hien said, "Based on our experience, when we see the unusual weather, we call each other to take the ship into safe shelters such as caves and mountain cliffs. Sometimes the sky is quiet, but suddenly thunderstorms appear that make us unable to respond. However, having determined to stick with the profession, we have to accept and always prepare psychologically."

Expect a year of victory

According to fishermen's calculations, for small ships, the cost of each trip is estimated at VND 10 million. As for large ships, the cost can be up to hundreds of millions of dong.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan (owner of the QN-90070 ship, anchoring at Cai Rong port, Van Don district) said, "My ship has a length of over 19 m, with offshore exploitation, mainly in Van Don waters. The cost of sea trips for 1 month is about VND 200 million. If the weather is calm, I go for 12–15 days, but when the sea is dynamic, I sometimes can only go for 10 days. ”

As for large ships, the cost is huge, including the cost of light bulbs, oil, machine power, ice, etc. Besides, there is money related to the payment of crew members and the repair and periodical maintenance of the ship. According to ship owners, if not carefully calculated, each trip not only does not make enough money but can completely suffer heavy losses.

Recently, Mr. Tuan had a favorable sea trip at the beginning of the year and achieved many results. "At this time, our ship mostly catches anchovies. My spring trip is quite favorable with good fishing output. The other fleets also have their own advantages. Hopefully this year every trip will meet a lot of luck," Mr.Tuan happily shared.

For fishermen, the most desirable thing in the sea trips is the safety and good output to help pay the costs and have a little profit to feed the family.

When asked about the monthly income, Mr. Tong Van Que said, "On average, every day I have to earn VND 1-1.5 million to pay for the costs. To ensure the 'win' part, before going, I have to accurately determine the fishing area and expect yield and value." Every day, the output Mr. Que catches is sold immediately to the purchasing ships to ensure that the goods are always fresh, high-quality, and have good prices.

Talking to us, the man who was over 40 years old expressed, "We only hope that the sea will be quiet in the new year so that we can feel secure to cling to the sea and have a victory year. Our fleet is united, mutually assisting, and determined to exploit the permitted waters, comply with the provisions of the law, and absolutely not exploit in the style of destruction."

In the optimistic atmosphere, excited to celebrate the new year, the ships have set sail with so much belief and hope for a bumper sea season and a desire for fullness.

In 2024, despite being affected by Typhoon No. 3, Quang Ninh's fishery sector still achieved positive results. The total seafood production reached 175,000 tons, of which the exploitation production was 77,000 tons and the aquaculture production reached over 98,000 tons.

* USD 1 = VND 25,350 ( Exchange rate updated on March 20, 2025; Source: Vietcombank)