The Tắc Cậu fishing port is deserted of boats.

In recent days, the Tac Cau fishing port in Binh An commune has been somewhat quiet due to fewer boats and ships entering. Because of increased fishing costs and a decrease in fish catches, many boat owners have had to moor their vessels.

Currently, only a few purchasing vessels are docked at the harbor, but seafood yields have decreased significantly. Not far away, numerous fishing boats are densely moored along both banks of the Cai Be River. At the harbor, baskets of sparsely stocked fish and shrimp are passed from hand to hand by stevedors, transported to collection points, and then returned to the familiar silence. Some others, with more free time, sit and chat. While previously many trading areas were bustling, they are now deserted, some even covered with tarpaulins, temporarily ceasing operations.

Due to the low volume of seafood arriving at Tac Cau fishing port, the dockworkers have free time to sit around and chat. Photo: PHAM HIEU

Mr. Nguyen Vu Lil, the owner of a seafood purchasing boat in Binh An commune, said: “My family owns three seafood purchasing boats. Before, we could collect 70-80 tons of seafood per day. Now, most of the fishermen's boats are anchored, so I only send one boat out to buy seafood, about 20 tons per day. Previously, every morning there were hundreds of workers and traders working and buying, but now there are only a few dozen.” According to Mr. Lil, the price of fuel has decreased but is still quite high. About a week ago, most boats were anchored at sea, with only a few operating at a reduced capacity. Therefore, even though he sends his boat out to buy seafood at a price 10-20% higher, he still cannot achieve the target volume.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, a resident of Rach Gia ward who specializes in buying seafood at Tac Cau fishing port and reselling it at the Rach Gia agricultural and seafood market, shared that over the past 10 days, the prices of the goods she buys from the port have increased by about 10%, but the difference is still not significant. "Previously, I used to buy and resell a hundred kilograms of seafood every day, but now I'm happy if I can even sell half that amount," Ms. Thu said.

According to the An Giang Fisheries Port Management Board, fewer fishing boats and vessels are docking at the port to purchase seafood. Meanwhile, more fishing boats are anchored in the Cai Be River area. This is partly due to high fuel prices, leading to increased fishing costs at sea. On the other hand, marine resources are gradually being depleted. With falling oil prices, fishermen are gradually taking their boats out to sea to fish.

Mr. Tran Van Thuan, the owner of two fishing boats in Rach Gia ward, operates in the southwestern sea area. He needs to prepare about 3,000 liters of fuel to ensure operation. “Previously, when fuel prices fluctuated below 20,000 VND/liter, fishing boats were profitable. But now the price is over 30,000 VND/liter, even peaking at 45,000 VND/liter. At this price, fishermen are sure to lose money, even significantly. If this continues, I will be forced to moor my boats ashore,” Mr. Thuan said.

Faced with rising costs, many fishermen are proactively adjusting their fishing methods to reduce fuel consumption or maintain production at a minimum level. Ms. Nguyen Hoang Nhi, owner of a fishing and seafood purchasing vessel in Binh An commune, said: “Due to the high cost of fishing at sea, 5 out of my family's 7 boats are anchored at sea. The remaining 2 are also fishing intermittently, but the catch of fish and shrimp is not much. If this situation continues, my fleet will not be able to survive.”

Meanwhile, fishermen with smaller boats who fish near the shore are choosing to increase their fishing time to reduce fuel costs when returning to shore. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Thong, residing in Binh An commune, owns a small boat used for purse seine fishing. Previously, each fishing trip lasted only 2 days, but recently, each trip has had to be extended to 4-5 days. In addition, when traveling, the boat adjusts to the tides to reduce fuel consumption… “Not only fuel, but other input costs have also increased, while the price of seafood has not increased or has increased only slightly, making fishing increasingly difficult. Sometimes I want to switch professions, but I've been doing this for decades, it's not easy to switch to another job,” Mr. Thong lamented.

According to the An Giang Fisheries Association, the province currently has about 10,000 fishing vessels operating at sea, using various fishing methods, resulting in different fuel requirements. For example, longline fishing requires about 3,000-4,000 liters of fuel per month-long trip; net fishing requires over 7,000 liters; and trawling requires 45,000 liters... However, with fuel prices exceeding 30,000 VND/liter, fishermen will incur losses.

PHAM HIEU

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/cang-ca-tac-cau-vang-ghe-a483234.html