Fishermen in the southwestern coastal region face difficulties in every way.

Going out to sea for fishing is now expensive, it's difficult to find fishermen, and the catch is low, which is one of the many reasons why fishing boats in the Southwest are staying ashore – Photo: BUU DAU

Fishing grounds are depleted, and costs are rising.

On January 3rd, fisherman Truong Van Vinh, residing in U Minh district, Ca Mau province, stated that he practices squid fishing, but in recent years, fishing has been difficult, with high costs but low yields.

"Offshore, all the nets and trawls are gone, but inland, the nets are everywhere, so how can the shrimp and fish reproduce in time? If we protect the fishing grounds well and give the shrimp and fish time to reproduce, then the fishermen will be able to prosper," Mr. Vung analyzed.

Many fishermen at the Song Doc estuary are complaining about rising costs, from fuel prices to the prices of essential goods needed for fishing trips. The cost has increased to over 50 million VND for a 30-day fishing trip.

The family of Mr. Le Van Tien, residing in Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district, Ca Mau province, said that he owns three offshore fishing vessels that are at risk of being idle.

Because finding crew members is difficult and costs have increased, fishermen are forced to lower the purchase price of their catch, causing them to suffer losses. Previously, the average price of fish sold was around 20,000-21,000 VND/kg, but now it's only around 18,000-19,000 VND/kg.

"Previously, the cost of a fishing trip was around 200 million VND, but now, with high fuel prices and rising food and essential goods costs, the cost has increased to about 250 million VND per trip. Meanwhile, fishing is not as profitable as before, and some people who used to work in the fishing industry have abandoned the profession," Mr. Tien lamented.

Mr. Tran Minh Tri, a fishing boat owner in Rach Gia City, Kien Giang province, shared that he owns four fishing boats, but in 2024, seafood yields decreased sharply, by about 20-30% compared to the previous year. His family goes out to sea for 2-3 months at a time. In 2024, most fishing boat owners did not make a profit.

“For the new year 2025, I only hope that oil prices will fall further so that fishermen can hope to make a profit. Right now, each trip to sea costs more than 4 billion VND per pair of boats (including fuel, advances for fishermen, and food expenses). However, seafood production has decreased sharply, so everyone is struggling. Finding people to go to sea is especially difficult,” Mr. Tri said.

It's difficult to find fishermen going out to sea.

In Ca Mau, the number of laborers working on fishing vessels has recently decreased sharply, with many vessels lacking sufficient crew to go out to sea or being forced to reduce their fishing capacity. Coastal districts such as Ngoc Hien, Nam Can, and Dam Doi have all recorded labor shortages of 20-30% compared to actual needs.

The main reasons for workers abandoning the fishing industry are harsh working conditions, numerous dangers from storms and work accidents, and unstable income. Their income, which used to be 5-10 million VND per person, has now dropped to around 1-3 million VND per person per month, insufficient to cover living expenses.

Mr. To Van Chien, a fisherman from Ngoc Hien district, Ca Mau province, said that finding crew members is becoming increasingly difficult. Previously, just a few phone calls were enough to gather enough people, but now it takes days, even weeks, to find enough.

Tac Cau fishing port, Kien Giang province: Buying and selling fish on the first day of the new year 2025 – Photo: BUU DAU

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Ngo Van Lam – head of the Tac Cau fishing port management board under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Kien Giang province – said that the key fishing grounds of local fishermen have shrunk, and exploitation is inefficient. They fear that if they bring their boats ashore, the fishermen will leave and switch to other professions. In the last two years, over 90% of boat owners have sold their fish at sea.

"In the old days, the owner was the boss, but now the captain is the boss. The captain wants to sell fish at sea, controls the amount sold, and gets a share of the money."

"The captains directly sell the fish and then report to the owner to share the cash. The current fish catch at the port has decreased by nearly 1,800 tons compared to 2023 due to many boats being docked," Mr. Lam said.

Due to depleted fishing grounds, some fishing boats in Ca Mau have to stay ashore more often than out at sea – Photo: THANH HUYEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngu-dan-vung-bien-tay-nam-gap-kho-du-duong-20250103104630692.htm