Fishermen in Nghe An province strike it rich with anchovies.

At Quynh Lap port, dozens of local fishermen's boats are bustling in and out, each hold laden with tens of tons of fresh anchovies after their fishing trips, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere in the early days of the new year.

After more than 6 days at sea, Mr. Le Ba Duong - owner of fishing boat NA 91517 in Quynh Lap commune, Hoang Mai town - was delighted with a successful fishing trip, catching nearly 50 tons of anchovies.

“These past few days, the sea has been calm, so schools of anchovies have appeared in abundance. This is the first trip of 2024 where we've caught so many anchovies. This trip brought in over 440 million VND, and after deducting expenses of about 180 million VND, we made a profit of about 260 million VND,” Mr. Duong said.

Dozens of boats docked at the port with holds full of anchovies. Photo: Thanh Thuy

Anchored not far away was the boat of fisherman Le Ba Han, who had just caught 30 tons of anchovies. Taking advantage of the break to sell his catch to traders, refuel, get ice and supplies for the next trip, Mr. Han said that the Quỳnh Lập fishing fleet specializes in anchovy fishing. Never before has the anchovy yield been as high as this year; every time they cast their nets, they catch fish, so much so that the boats are overloaded and can't hold enough. Some boats are stopping at Ninh Co port ( Thai Binh ) to sell some of their catch, while others are rushing back to Quỳnh Lập port to sell theirs in time for a few more trips.

The anchovy fishing season usually begins in August of the lunar calendar and lasts until the end of February the following year, but the peak season is in October and November. Many boats can catch 7-8 tons of anchovies in just one night of casting their nets. The anchovies in this area are the white-striped variety, 5-7cm long, usually appearing in large schools and feeding on plankton in the surface water. The schools of fish will gradually move south, and after Tet (Lunar New Year), fishermen will shift their fishing activities to the waters off Ha Tinh province.

Anchovies are bought by traders right at the port. Photo: Thanh Thuy

Currently, Quynh Lap commune has more than 100 large-capacity offshore fishing vessels, mainly exploiting anchovies, squid, and tuna... In recent days, the anchovy catch has been quite large; on January 7 alone, ships returning to port sold 100 tons. The fishing port is bustling with people unloading fish, trucks carrying goods, and thousands of trays of fish overflowing the walkways.

Anchovies are mainly sent to processing plants to be dried for export to the domestic market and China, used as an ingredient in salted fish sauce, or marinated and dried to make dried fish dishes, or ground into fish powder... The freshest batches of anchovies can be used to make salads, soups, or braised dishes with sweet and savory sauces...

Loading fish onto trucks to transport them to the steaming facilities. Photo: Thanh Thuy

Anchovies brought ashore are sorted and sold at different prices. Currently, grade 1 anchovies are priced at around 10,000-10,500 VND/kg, while grade 2 anchovies, sold for fishmeal processing into animal feed, are priced at 7,000 VND/kg. Compared to previous years, the price of anchovies is lower, but the catch is also higher.

A bountiful anchovy catch creates many jobs for local women. Photo: Thanh Thuy

Furthermore, thanks to the abundant anchovy catch, not only have fishermen earned high incomes, but many women in Quynh Lap commune and neighboring communes and wards have found employment at the beginning of the new year, such as transporting, processing, and sorting anchovies for traders. As a result, fisheries logistics services have also developed strongly, creating a double value chain for the locality.

According to the leaders of Quynh Lap commune People's Committee: From the beginning of the lunar month (early November), fishermen in Quynh Lap have harvested approximately 1,500-1,600 tons of anchovies. The fishermen's successful anchovy catch at the beginning of the new year has brought them a substantial income, making everyone happy. Local leaders, the Fisheries Association, and the fishermen are determined to continue fishing offshore, both to develop the economy and to contribute to protecting the sovereignty of the nation's seas and islands.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/ngu-dan-nghe-an-trung-dam-ca-com-post283014.html