Hunting season for "sea deer"

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Warm seawater has "enticed" schools of fresh herring to swim along the coastal sandbars in search of food. For fishermen, the herring season brings prosperity every year, because this fish species is abundant, easy to catch, consumes quickly, and can be processed into many delicious dishes.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ly, Hai Ninh ward (Nghi Son town) and his family members harvest herring.

Visiting coastal localities of Thanh Hoa, such as: Sam Son city, Nghi Son town and Hoang Hoa, Quang Xuong, Hau Loc districts... at this time, you will encounter a "region" of herring on the beach. The fish are fresh, shining silver in the early morning sun. Herring is not only a gift from the sea, but also brings hope for a prosperous life for fishermen.

At 5:00 a.m., Mr. Nguyen Van Ly's boat, Hai Ninh ward (Nghi Son town) docked. Turning off the engine, he jumped into the boat and tied the anchor rope. The net full of herrings lay glistening on the floor of the boat. He and a few young men with him waved and shook the net to let the fish fall onto the sand. One thing that was easy to see was that although there were thousands and thousands of fish, their sizes and weights were all similar, and it was rare to see fish that were too small or too large. He quickly removed the fish that were caught and threw them continuously into a plastic bucket. As soon as the bucket was full, he weighed them for the traders to take away. In just a few minutes, he had sold all the herrings he had caught. He was excited because his day at sea was highly productive. This trip, God was merciful, his boat caught more than 100 kilograms of herrings. After deducting expenses, he still had a profit of nearly 2 million VND.

Herring has a lower economic value than tuna, mackerel, and squid, but for fishermen without much capital and families with few people, catching this fish is relatively suitable. At one time, the boat only needs 1-2 workers, and from the night before to the next morning, it can catch 1-2 quintals of herring. For a small family, an income of more than ten million VND/month can be considered stable. Mr. Ly confided: "The weather is warm and sunny, the boat goes out to sea smoothly, and it is not uncommon to catch several quintals a day."

According to Mr. Ly's experience, during the day, herring usually swims at a depth of 3 - 6m, at night it is only about 2m. Therefore, catching herring at night is often more favorable. The most favorable time is when the weather is cold, then there is warm sunshine and south wind. In particular, the herring fishing net must be a specialized type, called "herring net" with holes suitable for the size of the fish, 8 - 10m wide, 200m long, thin wire, with 3 layers. This type of net is only used to catch large fish, small fish that slip through the net will be "saved" for the next year's fishing season.

Herring not only helps fishermen earn more income, but also has a busy season for traders. That is why in the past few months, the sea strip in Hoang Truong commune (Hoang Hoa) has become bustling because of the appearance of many wholesalers. They bring along all the necessary equipment to preserve fish, sitting on the shore waiting for the boats to return. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thang, a resident of Hau Loc district who specializes in fresh seafood business, said: "The weather has been favorable these days, every boat returning has herring, so it is easier to buy. In one day, I collect about 100 kg of fish from boats, at a price of 20,000 - 30,000 VND/kg, then bring it to the markets in Hau Loc district to sell at a price difference of 5,000 - 10,000 VND/kg".

The bustling atmosphere when the boat returns on the coast of Nghi Son town.

Herrings are bought by fish traders and brought to markets in the district and neighboring areas for resale. Some are transported to the city, to Hanoi . Many families with labor do not import for traders but directly bring fish to retail markets for a price 5,000 - 10,000 VND/kg higher than the original price at sea.

While busily collecting nets and cleaning the boat after a fishing trip, Mr. Hoang Van Tho, village 2, Hoang Truong commune, happily smiled: "Taking advantage of these warm sunny days, fish are easy to catch and have good prices, my family brings them to the tourist area to sell and earn a little extra. We just hope that each fishing trip will bring in an income of about 1 million VND and we will be at ease."

As a coastal commune, Hoang Truong faces many difficulties in exploiting marine resources. The whole commune currently has more than 500 fishing vessels. Of which, there are nearly 100 offshore fishing vessels and 450 small-capacity boats, exploiting nearshore areas. The exploited products are mainly small seafood, so the economic value is not high. Mr. Le Thanh Canh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoang Truong commune, said: "Since the Lunar New Year 2025 until now, people in this coastal area have had a good herring season, fishermen have an income of 500,000 VND or more per trip. This is a good source of income for many coastal people, so people are actively sticking to the sea."

To exploit and protect aquatic resources, the provincial fisheries sector has coordinated with local authorities in coastal areas to advise fishermen and processing facilities to avoid destroying small herring and maintain hygiene in harvesting and processing fish, avoiding environmental pollution, especially in coastal areas serving tourists.

Article and photos: Tang Thuy

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/mua-san-loc-bien-247679.htm