Adding motivation for sustainable maritime activities.

In Tam Hai, the sea is not only a means of livelihood but also a source of memories, tradition, and pride for many generations. As marine resources change, so do the types of work, and so must the methods of doing business. In this journey, policy-based credit is helping fishermen in the island commune have more opportunities to maintain their livelihoods, switch to other professions, and sustainably continue their fishing activities.

We won't leave the sea, we'll just change the way we cling to it.

Mr. Pham Minh Tung, from Thuan An village, Tam Hai island commune, has lived by the sea for over 60 years. His life has been spent on long voyages, sometimes even to Truong Sa (Spratly Islands). For him, the sea is not just a profession, but a part of his life, a part of the memories of the islanders. But age has forced those who work at sea to reconsider their livelihoods.

When it was no longer suitable for him to frequently go far offshore, Mr. Tung returned to raising fish in cages, acquiring fishing gear, and combining it with fishing around the aquaculture area to "use short-term gains to support long-term goals." Unfortunately, he lacked sufficient capital, making his dream very difficult to realize.

A moment of relaxation after each fishing trip for the people of Tam Hai. Photo: Duc Kien

According to Mr. Tung, building a fish cage isn't just about having a cage. From stocking to harvesting can take 6-10 months. During that time, farmers still need boats, engines, nets, feed, labor, and income to sustain their lives. Therefore, he hopes to access a larger loan, around 200-300 million VND, to invest more systematically.

Mr. Tung said, "The people may be old, but the sea is not"; for the people of Tam Hai, the sea is still there, but the way of doing business must be newer. Fishing gear must be better, the vessels must be safer, and aquaculture must be more technically advanced. If they lack capital, it is very difficult for the people to upgrade their livelihoods, even though they still have experience and the will to stay at sea."

The worries weren't just Mr. Tung's. For the people of the island commune, without official funding, they easily resorted to high-interest loans from informal lenders. But since the introduction of policy-based funding, the people have had safer options to acquire equipment, buy fishing gear, raise fish in cages, cultivate abalone, and expand production. This has helped many households escape poverty, and their lives have gradually improved. Some households even earn hundreds of millions of dong in profit each year.

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Policy credit doesn't replace the people's efforts. However, this capital creates an important starting point: people have legitimate capital, reasonable costs, a supporting community, loan groups, and community oversight. From there, people's labor experience has more opportunities to be transformed into real income.

Testing the waters with the new cages.

If Mr. Tung represents the older generation of fishermen who want to change their methods to continue making a living from the sea, then Mr. Le Huynh Xuan Dai represents the younger generation who choose to return to their hometown to start businesses from the sea.

Dai had previously left Tam Hai to work as a laborer in Binh Duong, and for a time he worked in Malaysia repairing automobiles. After many years away from home, he returned to Tam Hai. The reason was not only to be closer to his parents, but also because he saw the potential of the Truong Giang river region, where aquaculture still has much room for development.

In 2023, he borrowed 100 million VND from the Social Policy Bank to invest in HDPE cages for off-season aquaculture. This was a calculated move because investing in HDPE cages allowed Mr. Dai to keep the fish through the winter, raise them off-season, and sell them at a better price compared to traditional cages. After more than two years, he has repaid 60 million VND of the principal and interest. More importantly, his family's finances have gradually stabilized, and he has more capital to consider new investments. For Mr. Dai, the first loan was not just money, but also an encouragement for a young person to dare to start a business in his hometown.

The aquaculture farm of Mr. Le Huynh Xuan Dai. Photo: Duc Kien

What's admirable about Mr. Dai's story is his forward-thinking mindset. He not only wants to do it for himself, but also wants to learn from the experiences of developed aquaculture regions like Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa to bring that knowledge back to Tam Hai. He hopes that the aquaculture industry in this island commune will have a different, more systematic, and more effective status.

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Evaluating Mr. Dai's model, Mr. Ho Tung Chinh, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Tam Hai commune, said that Mr. Dai's successful model has created a ripple effect, encouraging more young people to dare to return, dare to invest, and dare to innovate in the fishing industry.

From Mr. Tung's saying, "The people may be old, but the sea is not," to Mr. Dai's HDPE fish cages, it's clear that Tam Hai's sea still offers opportunities. The question is whether the people have enough capital, technical skills, and confidence to seize those opportunities. On that journey, policy-based credit is a silent but enduring support.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/them-dong-luc-bam-bien-ben-vung-10421484.html