Making a living by relying on the sea.

QTO - Although they don't own large-capacity vessels for offshore fishing, the fishermen of Hamlet 6, Trieu Co Commune, still enjoy a comfortable life thanks to diversifying their inshore fishing methods. Depending on the season, the fishermen here flexibly switch between fishing techniques such as catching cuttlefish, squid, using three-net, two-net, and herring gillnets… to take advantage of the available aquatic resources at the time of year.

In the afternoon, the coastal area of ​​Hamlet 6, Trieu Co Commune, was bustling with the laughter and chatter of fishermen returning from sea, as well as traders and relatives waiting on the shore. Seeing fisherman Tran Khuong Hap (70 years old) from Hamlet 6, Trieu Co Commune, dock his boat, his wife quickly ran to the water's edge to greet him. "What's up, husband?" asked Mr. Hap. Pointing to the boat's hold, Mr. Hap replied, "Quite a good catch. Today we caught about 30kg of mackerel and scad. We sold them to traders for 25-30 thousand dong per kg, earning nearly 1 million dong."

Mr. Tran Khuong Hap shared that in recent years, fishermen in Hamlet 6 have found ways to turn the difficulties and limitations of the coastal area into advantages in fishing. They use different fishing gear depending on the season and the type of seafood. For example, from the Lunar New Year until July (lunar calendar), fishermen choose to use three-layered nets to catch red snapper and grouper, nets for catching mackerel and tuna, gillnets for herring, and use ball traps to catch squid or LED lights to catch squid near the shore. From July (lunar calendar) this year to January (lunar calendar) next year, fishermen will use trawling nets to catch pomfret, crab nets to catch small crabs, or use longline fishing to catch other fish like scad and anchovies.

Fisherman Tran Phiệt (on the left) caught 35kg of mackerel, earning nearly 1 million VND per fishing trip - Photo: SH

Mr. Tran Vien (67 years old) from Hamlet 6 said that from the Lunar New Year until July (lunar calendar), fishermen in the hamlet engage in herring fishing with gillnets. From 3 a.m., fishermen begin sailing their boats out to sea about 2-3 nautical miles from the shore to cast their nets. The reason they fish for herring near the shore is because this species of fish usually moves in schools close to the shore to feed in the early morning. The herring swim close to the surface, snapping at bubbles, creating tiny dots like large raindrops. After casting the nets and surrounding the area for about 20 minutes, they pull them up to remove the fish. On lucky days, they can catch a whole hundred kilograms of fish in a single net haul.

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When encountering large catches of fish, the fishermen of Hamlet 6 don't remove the fish at sea but bring them ashore and enlist the help of relatives to unload them before selling them. Afterward, they quickly return to sea to continue fishing. During the peak herring season, the average daily catch for the boats of the fishermen in Hamlet 6 is about 3-4 quintals (300-400 kg) and at least 50-60 kg of herring, earning several million dong per trip. Fishing for herring isn't too difficult; it only requires an investment of 10-12 million dong to buy gillnets.

During these months, fishermen in Hamlet 6 also engage in the practice of casting nets to catch silver shrimp. This type of sea silver shrimp has high economic value because it grows and develops naturally, unlike farmed brackish water shrimp. This shrimp has firm, delicious, sweet meat, is highly nutritious, and can be easily prepared into many flavorful dishes with a taste of the sea, thus commanding a very high price in the market. The price of sea silver shrimp that traders buy at the beach in Hamlet 6 ranges from 350,000 to 400,000 VND per kilogram.

Fisherman Tran Phiệt (63 years old) from Hamlet 6 said that in addition to the aforementioned fishing methods, local fishermen also have a high-income squid fishing profession. From April to September (lunar calendar) each year, around dusk, fishermen sail out to sea and turn on LED lights powered by batteries, illuminating a wide area around the boat and extending dozens of meters into the sea to attract large quantities of squid. After a night, they can earn several million dong.

According to Nguyen Duy Huynh, Head of the Economic Department of Trieu Co Commune, the locality currently has 352 fishing vessels (with over 60% in Hamlet 6 alone). From the beginning of 2016 to the present, the commune's seafood catch is estimated at 1,092 tons. In the coming time, the commune will actively encourage fishermen to overcome difficulties and venture out to sea for production; encourage fishermen to purchase fishing gear and modify their boats to increase seafood catch; introduce more fishing methods that bring high economic efficiency; and urge fishermen to comply with regulations against IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing.

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Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202606/bam-bien-muu-sinh-0c57edc/