Seafood is scarce, prices are high, Nghe An fishermen are excited

Phung Ba Thu's fleet had a big catch of silver pomfret, mu fish, and mackerel, with a yield of nearly 8 tons arriving at the port on the morning of July 31. Photo: TP

At nearly 6 a.m., Mr. Phung Ba Thu's fleet in Yen Dinh block, Cua Lo ward docked happily. After a night at sea, Mr. Thu's boat brought back nearly 8 tons of various types of fish, mainly silver pomfret and mackerel.

With a sharp increase in post-storm prices and high yields, this trip brought him and his crew nearly 250 million VND in revenue. Mr. Thu excitedly shared: “Fishing after the storm was more favorable, yield was good and prices were also high. Seafood was scarce so traders bought right at the wharf, as soon as they reached the shore, there were people waiting. All the fishermen were excited.”

Cua Lo Ward Farmers' Association awarded the Emulation Flag to Mr. Phung Ba Thu's fleet for achieving high output. Photo: CSCC

At this time, many fishing boats fishing near the shore of Quynh Anh commune, Quynh Mai ward, Tan Mai ward also docked one after another after nights at sea. Short sea trips, each boat only had 2-3 workers but still managed to "hit the price" when the main product was herring, purchased at the wharf at a price of 20,000 - 25,000 VND/kg, nearly double the price before the storm. Although the output only fluctuated from 150 - 200 kg/night, each boat still earned about 4 million VND, after deducting expenses, the income of each fisherman was about 1.5 - 2 million VND.

Trich fish — Fisherman Quynh Anh has a big catch of herring. Photo: TP

At Quynh Lap fishing port (Tan Mai ward), the atmosphere became even more exciting when dozens of fishing boats returned one after another after nearly a week at sea, bringing with them holds of anchovies, herring, silver pomfret, squid... Although the output was only average, thanks to high prices, each boat's revenue reached 150 million VND or more.

The owner of the NA 91292TS ship, Mr. Ho Sy Ky, who just docked on the morning of July 31, said: “The ship has 5 crew members, going out to sea to fish in the Gulf of Tonkin. After 5 days, we brought in nearly 10 tons of fish and squid. Seafood prices have increased sharply, each trip brings a net profit of more than 150 million VND, and the crew members are paid 5 million VND/person. After many days of staying ashore to avoid the storm, everyone is excited because this trip was a big hit.”

buy 2 — Seafood prices increased after the storm. Photo: TP

Due to the impact of the prolonged storm, the supply of seafood in the market has been interrupted, causing the prices of items such as herring, anchovies, silver pomfret, squid... to increase sharply. Specifically, anchovies are currently purchased at 17,000 VND/kg, herring 25,000 VND/kg, silver pomfret 40,000 VND/kg, squid of all kinds ranges from 250,000 - 270,000 VND/kg. At fishing ports, traders are bustling in and out, many establishments even have to "deposit" in advance to keep goods because of the scarce supply.

Along with the excitement of fishermen, on shore, processing facilities and cold storages have also entered the peak season. Freezers, steamers, and workshops drying anchovies and dried squid... have simultaneously increased production. Each batch of fresh fish and squid is processed and frozen as soon as the ship arrives at the port.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tai - owner of a frozen warehouse in Cua Lo ward said: "After the storm, seafood is scarce so prices are very high, market demand has also increased sharply because the tourist season is at its peak. We have to mobilize more workers, work overtime to promptly process and freeze for hotels and restaurants, both for export and for on-site sale. The return of hot weather is a favorable condition for drying anchovies, making one-sun-dried squid... This is an important stage, if we do not take advantage, there will be a shortage of goods."

Along the cold storage warehouses and fish steaming workshops, the bustling atmosphere of work lasts from early morning to late at night. The steaming furnaces operate at full capacity, and workers have to work overtime to meet orders.

Strong sunshine is favorable for preliminary processing, especially drying seafood. Photo: TP

Ms. Ho Thi Quynh - a worker at a fish processing facility in Quynh Mai ward said: "After several days of storms and winds, now that ships are coming back continuously, the steaming workshop is also on fire all day. Workers have to work overtime from early morning to late at night, but everyone is excited because they have steady work and a good income."

With the existing advantages of processing and preservation systems, along with the dynamism of fishermen and businesses, coastal localities of Nghe An are taking full advantage of the "golden opportunity" after the storm to increase the value of seafood exploitation and processing.

Seafood prices are high and production is good after the storm, so seafarers have more income. Photo: TP

Although the fishing trips have not yet yielded a bumper crop, the sharp increase in selling prices has brought in a significant source of income, further motivating fishermen to stay at sea, while at the same time creating excitement and urgency in the stages of processing and consuming seafood in the area./.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/hai-san-khan-hiem-gia-tang-cao-ngu-dan-nghe-an-phan-khoi-10303583.html