The Thuan An fishing port has recently been upgraded with infrastructure to meet the needs of approximately 500 boats for mooring and sheltering from storms.

Still sediment

During the recent storms of typhoons No. 6 and No. 10, many fishing boats urgently returned to shore to take shelter at Thuan An Fishing Port. However, the fishermen's activities were hampered by siltation in the harbor's channel. After passing through the Thuan An estuary, most boats docked at the old fishing port (berth No. 1) to sell their seafood and then sought a place to anchor and take shelter from the storm. Meanwhile, next to it, berth No. 2, with its newly built and modern infrastructure, saw very few boats entering and leaving.

Fisherman Tran Giap (Thuan An ward), owner of a fishing vessel with a capacity of 820 horsepower, said that fishermen rarely dock, unload seafood, or take shelter from storms at berth number 2 because the channel is still shallow. In situations where they are sheltering from rain and storms and encounter large waves, a shallow channel makes accidents very likely. In the long term, fishermen hope that the channel will be dredged to ensure sufficient depth, especially for large vessels with a capacity of over 700 horsepower that provide logistics services for fishing to enter the port to unload seafood.

It is known that Berth No. 2, part of the Thuan An Fishing Port project combined with a storm shelter and anchorage area, has a total investment of 215 billion VND, with the Department of Agriculture and Environment as the investor. It was completed in 2023 and handed over to the Thuan An Fishing Port Management Board for management and operation in 2024. According to the design, the facility, when put into operation, will ensure a minimum capacity of 20,000 tons per year for vessels to dock and depart, meeting the needs for anchorage and storm shelter for approximately 500 vessels of various types with a length of 6 meters or more, equivalent to a capacity of 45 to 300 horsepower. However, recently, especially after each storm, some channels in the Thuan An Fishing Port have experienced localized siltation, causing difficulties for fishermen entering and leaving the port.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, because the construction site of the fishing port is located opposite the Thuan An estuary and near the end of the Huong River's outlet, during the rainy season, the amount of silt and sand blown in by waves from the sea converges with the water flowing out from the Huong River, causing localized sedimentation in some areas along the shipping channel and anchorage. Specifically, localized sedimentation has occurred at the entrance to the shipping channel with an area of ​​approximately 150m2, and five locations along the shipping channel and anchorage still have localized high sedimentation covering about 350m2.

By early February 2025, the investor and the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Agricultural and Rural Development Projects had directed the supervisory consultant and contractor to inspect and carry out dredging at these localized points to complete the project's warranty period. On February 24, 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) held a meeting with the People's Committee of Thuan An Ward and the Fishery Union and agreed that the entry and exit of boats to take shelter from storms in Thuan An was normal.

A long-term solution is needed.

Recently, the People's Committee of the city also issued a directive to the Department of Agriculture and Environment to take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to study and continue monitoring the sedimentation status of the shipping lanes, channels, and mooring areas at Thuan An Fishing Port in order to develop a plan to ensure the efficient operation of the fishing port in accordance with regulations.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Duc, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), said that at the beginning of 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) held a meeting with the People's Committee of Thuan An Ward and the Fishery Union. According to the Fishery Union's proposal, to accommodate fishing logistics service vessels carrying approximately 30-40 tons of cargo and some larger vessels entering and leaving the wharf, the current turning area, measuring 50x100m, is too short, leading to difficulties for multiple vessels docking simultaneously. Based on this, the unit proposed continuing dredging to extend the front section of the wharf by approximately 130m, with a bottom elevation of -3.4m, for a total length of approximately 230m.

Based on that situation, the Department of Construction has sent a document to the City People's Committee reporting on the results of the inspection of investment, project management, construction, and acceptance of project components of the Thuan An Fishing Port Project combined with a storm shelter and anchorage area. According to the Department of Construction's proposal, due to the development of the fishing industry and the increasing number of large vessels, especially large fishing logistics service vessels with a capacity of 800-1000 horsepower, needing to enter the port, further dredging of the channel and berths is absolutely necessary.

Regarding solutions for the future, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Duc informed that, following the directives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the City People's Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is currently coordinating with other departments and agencies to develop a plan for the maintenance and repair of fishing ports and storm shelters for fishing vessels for the period 2026-2030, with the goal of ensuring that the depth of the shipping channel and mooring area meets the requirements as stipulated. The Department will also report to the City People's Committee for consideration and decision on the plan for the maintenance and repair of fishing ports and storm shelters for fishing vessels for the period 2026-2030.

Text and photos: HA NGUYEN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/xay-dung-giao-thong/dam-bao-do-sau-luong-lach-khu-neo-dau-tau-ca-158376.html