With the advantage of a coastline of more than 137 km, Ha Tinh has dozens of fishing villages with a long tradition of seafood fishing, many types of delicious and typical seafood, which are an abundant source to serve tourists. These days, fishermen in fishing villages in Ky Xuan (Ky Anh district), Ky Ninh (Ky Anh town), Cam Nhuong (Cam Xuyen), Thach Kim, Thinh Loc (Thach Ha), Cuong Gian, Xuan Lien, Xuan Yen (Nghi Xuan) ... have started to sail their boats and ships out to sea to "hunt" for seafood products to supply the market.
Coming to Ky Xuan beach on a day at the end of March, I witnessed the bustling scene of boats coming ashore after a trip out to sea, bringing back many valuable seafood.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long (born in 1969, in Xuan Thang village, Ky Xuan commune) - a fisherman with more than 40 years of experience in the sea, shared: “Although going to sea is a regular job, every time the sunny season comes, seafood fishing activities have more motivation and excitement. Because the tourism industry is growing, the demand for seafood from restaurants is very large, the catch is consumed very easily, the selling price is high…”.
According to Mr. Long, most of the specialties that tourists in particular and customers in general like and have high economic value such as lobster, squid, spicy snails, clams, chang chang, mussels, clams... are all exploited by Ky Xuan fishermen in the sea of Ha Tinh. In particular, in addition to squid from fishing, other types are exploited by diving. Ky Xuan is famous for its diving tradition since the 90s of the 20th century. At that time, diving techniques and equipment were still rudimentary, but now, fishermen here have equipped themselves with many modern devices to ensure safety for each trip to sea. Summer is the most suitable time for diving to catch seafood, including clams, cuttlefish... In particular, squid, with the characteristic of having to be kept alive until reaching the shore, is caught by fishermen using fishing boats. After catching squid, fishermen "raise" it in the boat's hold or in a woven bamboo basket prepared in advance attached to the side of the boat and then follow the water to the shore.
Seafood from diving and fishing by Ky Xuan fishermen during the tourist season is often bought by traders and restaurants at high prices: lobsters are about 700-800 thousand VND/kg, spicy snails are 110 thousand VND/kg, chang chang is 170 thousand VND/kg, squid is 500 thousand VND/kg... Seafood is quickly consumed, in which for jumping squid, during the peak tourist season, traders from restaurants in Vung Ang (Ky Anh town) and Thien Cam tourist area (Cam Xuyen) bring boats to buy right at sea "counting the fish and calculating the price".
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hao - Vice Chairman of Ky Xuan Commune People's Committee said: "Currently, the locality has 6/8 villages with 450 households working in the sea. The whole commune has 249 ships, boats and 567 workers who are fishermen specializing in fishing at sea. On average, each year, Ky Xuan supplies the market with 800-850 tons of various types of seafood, including many precious seafood species such as: fish, squid, snails, crabs, clams... That is possible, in addition to the advantages of marine resources, but also because the people of Ky Xuan have a long tradition of fishing, especially generations constantly inherit and innovate in exploiting fishing grounds. The profession of "hunting" for marine products has really brought a prosperous life to the people, contributing to the development of Ky Xuan homeland."
Leaving Ky Xuan, I went to Xuan Yen fishing village (Nghi Xuan) to witness the atmosphere of preparation for the new fishing season - the southern fish season. An ancient fishing village located in the northern part of Ha Tinh, with a famous tradition of exploiting the sea, for many years, Xuan Yen has been a "barn" of seafood supplying restaurants serving tourists in tourist areas and spots in the region, especially Xuan Thanh Tourist Area.
Mr. Tran Van Manh - Secretary of Yen Lieu Village Party Cell and Head of Fishing Group No. 2 of Xuan Yen Commune said: “The locality has 3 villages engaged in seafood fishing, including: Yen Ngu, Hai Loi and Yen Lieu with nearly 230 ships and boats of all kinds. In 2024, the seafood output will reach more than 1,200 tons. From the beginning of 2025 until now, the herring crop alone has reached about 600 tons. These days are the time when we prepare fishing gear, focusing on exploiting crabs, squid, etc. to serve tourists at restaurants. Squid is caught with purse seine nets at night, crabs are caught with nets during the day, just need to go out to sea 3-10 nautical miles to be able to exploit. The caught seafood just landed is welcomed by traders and restaurant owners. Xuan Yen sea is always abundant in seafood, so the life of fishermen is increasingly prosperous”.
In the fishing village of Thach Kim (Thach Ha), where Cua Sot port is located - the largest fishing port in Ha Tinh, the atmosphere is also very bustling. Mr. Phan Van Hieu - an officer of the Management Board of Fishing Ports and Storm Shelters for Fishing Boats in Ha Tinh said: "On this occasion, on average, 60-70 boats arrive at the port every day. This is the beginning of the southern fishing season, the most important fishing season of the year. The weather is favorable, the boats going out to sea are all successful, bringing back many valuable seafood such as: squid, crab, crab, various types of clams, mackerel, herring... The port also welcomes many trucks to buy seafood to serve at tourist areas and spots".
Fresh seafood, abundant supply, at this time, restaurants in Ha Tinh coastal tourist areas and spots have also prepared menus to welcome guests.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan An - owner of Hai Chau restaurant (Xuan Hai beach, Loc Ha town, Thach Ha district) said: "Along with renovating the facility, we have also started purchasing fresh seafood, raising them in tanks to prepare for welcoming guests. This year, the restaurant will have attractive dishes made from seafood from Ha Tinh sea such as: mackerel salad, squid salad, jumping squid, grilled lobster with butter, grilled clams... ready to serve visitors".
Saying goodbye to the fishing villages with the bustling, exciting atmosphere of fishermen before the vibrant tourist season, looking towards the sea, the first sunshine of the season brings a cool breeze drying the sides of the boats, I can't help but feel emotional. The verses in the poem "Fishing Boats" by Huy Can seem to resonate: "We sing a song to call the fish in/ Knocking the boat has the rhythm of the high moon/ The sea gives us fish like a mother's heart/ Nurturing our lives since the beginning of time". The sea not only contains cultural and historical traditions but is also a valuable resource to create the values of the homeland today, in which for Ha Tinh, marine products are contributing to the development of the tourism industry.
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/mua-san-san-vat-bien-o-ha-tinh-post285409.html
![[Photo] Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels - a heroic underground feat](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/4/8/06cb489403514b878768dd7262daba0b)
Comment (0)