Fishermen in Binh Dinh province strike it rich with anchovy catches.

For nearly a week now, many fishing boats operating near the shore in the province have been catching a large quantity of anchovies. Traders are urgently buying up the fish at relatively stable prices to supply facilities that produce fish sauce, dried fish, and other products.

Around 6:00 AM on April 7th, Mr. Nguyen Quang Dung, the owner of a fishing boat in My An commune (Phu My district), brought his 17-meter-long vessel ashore, carrying approximately 8 tons of anchovies. Mr. Dung excitedly stated that on some days, his boat catches nearly 10 tons of anchovies. Traders are buying them at prices ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 VND per kilogram. After deducting expenses, each crew member receives 20-30 million VND every 10 days, while he personally earns over 200 million VND in profit. Mr. Dung added that although the sea hasn't been calm lately, the wind hasn't been too strong, preventing the anchovy schools from being swept out to sea, thus allowing fishermen fishing near the shore to do very well.

Traders at the fish markets buy crates of fresh anchovies that have just been brought ashore. Photo: NN

For the past few days, the Tam Quan estuary (Hoai Nhon town) has been likened by some to a "city on the sea" as 50-70 anchovy fishing boats operate with their lights on, fishing. Every boat leaves in the afternoon and returns early in the morning, with almost every hold full of fish. Fisherman Huynh The, from Thien Chanh 2 neighborhood (Tam Quan Bac ward, Hoai Nhon town), said that anchovies this season are mainly used for making fish sauce. If there's a large quantity and some are left over, they are blanched (boiled), or dried if there's sunshine, and sold to customers nationwide and exported to China.

In Quy Nhon City, fishermen in Nhon Ly commune are also having a bumper catch of anchovies. Some local fishermen said that many fishing boats, after selling their catch in the morning, quickly returned to sea to continue fishing. On average, large boats catch around 10 tons per trip, while smaller boats catch 5-7 tons, making the boat owners and crew very happy.

Ms. Van Thi Nam is a fish dealer in Nhon Ly commune, specializing in buying and selling fresh fish. She also buys fresh fish to salt, make fish sauce, or dry for resale. Ms. Nam says that, depending on the time of year, she buys a crate of fresh fish (10-12 kg) for between 150,000 and 180,000 VND. She then salts the fish in 20-25 liter barrels and sells it for 350,000 to 380,000 VND per barrel. She currently sells dried anchovies for 100,000 VND per kg.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Sang, from Ly Chanh village, Nhon Ly commune, happily said: “With anchovies in the sea, we women have jobs and money to support our families. Hopefully, the weather will be favorable in the coming days, and the sea will continue to have plenty of fish. These days, Nhon Ly is welcoming many tourists . This is also an opportunity for us fishermen to introduce our traditional fish sauce and Nhon Ly anchovies to people near and far…”

NGOC NGA

Source: https://baobinhdinh.vn/viewer.aspx?macm=5&macmp=5&mabb=353947