Urgently harvest lobsters to avoid damage when storm KALMAEGI makes landfall

Photo caption — People collect and classify green lobsters after bringing them from cages to shore. Photo: Dang Tuan/VNA

Harvest quickly, race against the storm

From early morning on November 4, dozens of households in Dam Mon village, Dai Lanh commune (where the largest cages in the province are located) mobilized manpower and equipment to harvest lobsters and pomfret. Dozens of workers worked overtime to pack fish into ice boxes and load them onto trucks for sale. At the port, the sound of engines mixed with calls to each other echoed across the sea, creating an urgent scene of the "storm escape" at the end of the year.

In the lobster farming area, the harvest atmosphere is also very urgent. Mr. Thieu Quang Khanh, Dam Mon village, Dai Lanh commune, owner of 34 lobster cages, said that his family has started selling 200-300 kg of green lobsters since November 3 to reduce risks. "The price is lower than previous years, but it is better than losing everything. I have raised them all year, now I just hope to recover some of the capital," Mr. Khanh shared.

Also in this area, Mr. Thieu Quang Toan, the owner of 20 green lobster cages with an investment of about 1.5 billion VND, said that, like previous years, to be proactive before the rainy season, his family has sold 50% of the output from September until now to be proactive before the rainy season. "As long as there are people, there is property. We value safety of life the most, then property," said Mr. Toan.

Shrimp and fish prices drop sharply

According to traders, green lobsters are now only about 780,000 VND/kg, down nearly 40,000 VND compared to last week; flower lobsters range from 1.1 to 1.4 million VND/kg, down about 200,000 VND/kg compared to early October. Meanwhile, the price of pomfret has also decreased, only 75,000-80,000 VND/kg, 20,000 VND lower than normal. Despite the price decrease, purchasing activities are still bustling. Many households accept to sell cheaply to recover their investment capital, while traders increase collection and transportation out of the area before strong winds and big waves hinder traffic.

At Dam Mon port, dozens of small vehicles continuously go in and out, transporting shrimp and fish from rafts to shore. On the water surface, many households take advantage of tying cages, forming rafts into large clusters, using anchor ropes to secure them in wind-protected areas. Some households also apply the measure of "temporarily sinking" cages in deep water to limit the impact of big waves. "Before the storm, I had to anchor the cages tightly, gather the nets, and in some places temporarily sink the cages to reduce wind force. Learning from the experience of the 2017 storm, everyone is more careful this year," said Mr. Khanh.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, Head of the Economic Department of Dai Lanh Commune, the commune currently has 994 aquaculture households, with a total of 34,560 cages raising lobsters, cobia and other high-value seafood. This is the main source of income for local people, contributing significantly to the economic development of the commune.

However, according to Mr. Phuong, when entering the rainy and stormy season, cage farming activities always pose great risks. Big waves and strong winds can sweep away or damage cages, causing heavy losses in property and output. In addition, ensuring the safety of fishermen at sea during bad weather is also of special concern to the government.

“We have asked households to urgently harvest and move cages to safe locations, and absolutely not stay at sea when the storm approaches. Militia, border guards and local fishermen are coordinating to support transportation and anchoring of vehicles, ensuring the highest safety,” said the Head of the Economic Department of Dai Lanh Commune.

Implementing Official Dispatch No. 25/CD-BCĐ-BNNMT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province issued a document directing units and localities to proactively respond to storm KALMAEGI.

Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee requested to complete the call for ships and vehicles operating at sea to take shelter before 10:00 a.m. on November 5, 2025, and at the same time limit and eventually ban ships from going to sea from 12:00 p.m. on November 6, 2025.

Localities must widely inform people to harvest agricultural and aquatic products early with the motto "green at home is better than old in the fields", check the safety of reservoirs, farming areas and areas at risk of landslides and floods.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Khanh Hoa province was assigned to direct and guide measures to reduce damage to agricultural production, organize reservoir inspections, and ensure safety in downstream areas.

In addition, the Khanh Hoa Provincial Border Guard has maintained four rescue stations, continuously issuing warnings of dangerous areas, calling on ships to move away from the affected area. Border guards and stations have coordinated with localities to inspect vulnerable areas, prepare evacuation plans and deploy rescue forces when necessary.

As of the afternoon of November 3, response work in coastal communes of Khanh Hoa province was still taking place urgently. Dozens of boats were mobilized to support people in harvesting, moving cages and rafts and anchoring them to safe locations. According to the assessment of local authorities, with the initiative of the people and the synchronous participation of functional forces, the damage caused by storm KALMAEGI will likely be limited to the lowest level.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/khan-truong-thu-hoach-tom-hum-tranh-thiet-hai-khi-bao-kalmaegi-do-bo-20251104164127912.htm