Fishermen in the largest coastal town in the Mekong Delta are excited about their first fishing trip of the year.

(NLDO) – Many fishermen in the largest coastal town in the Mekong Delta smiled as their boats docked full of fish and shrimp.

On January 29 (the first day of Tet), after a long time fishing at sea, many fishermen in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district, Ca Mau province returned to the mainland with boats full of fish and shrimp. The first successful fishing trip of the year brought excitement and happy smiles to the fishermen.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thien (40 years old, living in Song Doc town) said that he and many fishermen on the boat had been fishing since the 19th of the 12th lunar month. Before leaving, Mr. Thien bought meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, etc. to prepare food to celebrate Tet at sea with his colleagues.

"Fishermen are at sea but still have all the dishes of Tet such as braised pork, pickled cabbage, braised pork, pickled shallots... to welcome spring. On the night of the 29th of Tet, each of us cooks a meal to worship our ancestors and prays for calm seas and wind so that fishing will be smooth. After deducting all expenses, on the first fishing trip of 2025, I earned more than 400 million VND" - Mr. Thien said excitedly.

Talking about the first times welcoming spring at sea, Mr. Nguyen Van Sang (36 years old; residing in Cai Nuoc district, Ca Mau province) said that when he first started his career, everyone was sad during Tet because they could not reunite with their families, but over time they gradually got used to it.

As the New Year approaches, the boats will stop fishing and anchor. At this time, the lights of the fishing boats not only light up the sky but also the calls of people to each other make the sea lively; fishermen on the boats interact with each other, creating a joyful atmosphere.

"After the ship owner paid me more than 12 million VND, I took a bus back to my hometown and took some to buy some new clothes for my son and some Tet food, and saved the rest to cover my living expenses. Although the seafaring profession is hard, we realize that going out to sea to fish is not only for economic benefits but also to protect the sovereignty of the Fatherland, so everyone is proud of the work they are doing," said Mr. Sang.

Song Doc Town is one of the three dynamic urban areas of Ca Mau Province, with 1,114 fishing and marine exploitation vessels and about 9,000 fishermen. This place is considered the largest coastal town in the Mekong Delta.

Sharing with reporters, most fishermen affirmed that they will strictly comply with the law in exploiting and catching seafood to help the whole country remove the IUU yellow card.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Trieu, Vice Chairman of Song Doc Town People's Committee, said that the locality not only owns a large number of fishing vessels but also has a strong development of post-fishing processing industries. Song Doc Town identifies fishing and aquaculture as the focus in developing the marine economy .

"The output of seafood caught in 2024 in Song Doc will reach more than 130,000 tons, a significant increase over the same period. Enterprises and factories proactively invest in modern equipment in post-harvest processing, not only increasing the value of many specialty species but also contributing to job creation and increasing income for people" - Vice Chairman of Song Doc Town People's Committee emphasized.

Below are pictures of fishermen in the largest coastal town in the Mekong Delta excited about their first successful fishing trip of the year: