It is the middle of the 10th lunar month, the time when fishermen in the province start the winter fishing season (from September to March of the following year), which is one of the two main fishing seasons for fishermen here. However, this is the time when storms and tropical depressions often appear at sea, due to the influence of the Northeast monsoon, so fishing for fishermen will not be as favorable as in the southern fishing season. In order for fishing activities to be highly effective and safe, ship owners need to proactively grasp weather information and ensure safety when going to sea.
Hope for the wick
In mid-November 2024, at the boat anchorage area along the Ca Ty River and Phu Hai fishing port (Phan Thiet City), hundreds of fishing boats were still on shore, waiting for information about storm No. 8. Although the new fishing season was entering, many fishermen were still in no hurry to go to sea because the weather was not suitable, and they also wanted to take advantage of the time to repair boats, fix engines, and buy more necessary fishing gear for a safe trip to sea during the winter season. Fisherman Nguyen Tam (Duc Thang ward) whose boat is fishing with a dragnet said: “After monitoring weather information, it is forecasted that there will be a northeast monsoon in the coming days, so I decided to wait a few days before setting sail. The weather for the Bac fish season is not as favorable as the Nam fish season, so it is necessary to ensure good safety conditions when the boat goes out to sea. I have just “overhauled” the boat for more than 100 million VND, hoping that fishing this season will earn a good profit. Although the Bac fish season is not as abundant as the Nam fish season, in return there are many seafood species with high economic value and a good consumption market, especially as the Lunar New Year approaches.”
According to the experience of local fishermen, this year's southern fish season is only favorable at the beginning of the season, but from the middle of the season onwards, both the output and the price of fish decrease, so after deducting all expenses, fishermen do not make much profit after each trip. Therefore, they predict that the bac fish season will be more bountiful, so they are ready to go to sea when the weather is favorable. In particular, there are only more than 2 months left until the traditional New Year, so fishermen are also taking advantage of long fishing trips in the hope that the holds will be full of fish and shrimp, and the family will have a warm and prosperous New Year.
In this fishing season, the main activities are cage traps, bottom trawling, scooping, and dragnets, etc. because most of them exploit bottom fish with high economic value. At the same time, fishing boats in the open sea also appear with many pelagic fish such as anchovies, croakers, mollusks, shrimp, and shrimp. However, in recent years, resources have been depleted, fuel prices have increased, and the weather has been unpredictable, so fishermen must calculate carefully and are encouraged to go fishing in groups or associations. If they are lucky enough to encounter a large fish population, fishermen will not have to worry about losses.
Regular fishing ground information
According to the Department of Fisheries, this year, the price of gasoline is high, the number of seafarers is decreasing, the regulations on fishing licenses, registration, inspection as well as conditions for going offshore are somewhat stricter to combat IUU fishing, so some ship owners also have the mentality of "hibernating" after the end of the southern fishing season. Therefore, to accompany and support fishermen in the northern fishing season, the Department of Fisheries and the Provincial Border Guard regularly provide information on weather conditions and fishing grounds so that fishermen can organize effective fishing. The Provincial Border Guard Command has directed border posts in the province to seriously implement the direction of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control; inform vessels operating at sea about storm information on the unit's on-duty system, open 24/7 watch stations to receive information, call, guide vessels and owners of vessels to have prevention plans. In addition, Phan Thiet Coastal Information Station is also on duty 24/7, broadcasting storm information on the frequency 7906KHz as prescribed for ships to receive, proactively monitor, and not enter the storm's dangerous area. At the same time, Border Guard Stations, Management Boards of fishing ports and fishing wharves in the province strengthen inspection of safety equipment on fishing boats before leaving port; encourage fishermen to form production teams at sea, associated with promoting the effectiveness of logistics service ships at sea.
Currently, the province has about 8,000 fishing vessels, with about 50,000 workers, of which about 70 - 80% will operate during the winter season, contributing significantly to the total output of the province. To support fishermen in overcoming unfavorable weather and resource conditions, the authorities have coordinated regularly to provide weather reports, resolutely not allowing boats to leave port when there is a tropical depression or a northeast monsoon at sea. At the same time, timely information on fishing grounds and aquatic resources helps fishermen have a basis for organizing exploitation; encourage the application of some fishing models with high economic efficiency, purchase modern equipment to focus on exploiting pelagic fish species and expanding fishing grounds. In particular, this is also an opportunity for the authorities to actively propagate, mobilize and guide people to comply with the 2017 Fisheries Law and strictly implement regulations on combating IUU fishing.
Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/ngu-dan-binh-thuan-vao-vu-bac-125706.html
![[Photo] Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels - a heroic underground feat](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/4/8/06cb489403514b878768dd7262daba0b)
Comment (0)