Fishermen prepare for the monsoon season.

As October of the lunar calendar arrives, the northeast monsoon winds begin, signaling the start of the northern fishing season for fishermen in the province. This is also the main fishing season of the year; although the yield is not as high as the southern fishing season, the harvest includes many types of fish with high economic value, leading to a more comfortable income for the fishermen.

The southern fishing season was favorable.

In early November 2023, the bustling activity of loading and unloading seafood at Con Cha and Phu Hai fishing ports (Phan Thiet City) was absent from the previous month. The forecast of strong winds, high waves, and thunderstorms at sea caused hundreds of boats of all sizes to lie side-by-side along the Ca Ty River in recent days. Every year, during the stormy season, fishermen rush to bring their boats ashore for repairs, mend nets, purchase necessary fishing equipment, and monitor the weather for their next fishing trip.

Ships are anchored and hesitant to set sail due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Fisherman Le Phuoc (Duc Thang ward) shared: “From mid-March until now, the weather and fishing grounds have been quite favorable, so most boats, large and small, have gone out to sea to catch seafood. Although it's the end of the southern fishing season, the seafood yield from June until now has been quite high, so fishermen in the province are taking advantage of the opportunity to go fishing. My boat uses a trawling net, and this year the yield is good, but the price of seafood is cheaper than in previous years. Therefore, after each trip of about 7-10 days, the crew members receive 6-8 million VND/person, which is not as high as in previous years. In the past few days, I heard the forecast of strong winds at sea, so I took the opportunity to check and repair the boat to ensure safety, waiting for favorable weather to continue going out to sea.”

The southern fishing season has yielded a large seafood harvest, but the prices are low.

While mending fishing nets at Phu Hai fishing port, Mr. Le Van Thanh from Phu Hai ward said: "Every year during the northern fishing season, the weather is harsh, often with storms. Therefore, to ensure a safe fishing trip, checking and repairing machinery is absolutely essential. In this fishing season, fishing methods such as cage traps, bottom trawling, scoop nets, and gill nets are the main activities because most of the catch consists of bottom-dwelling fish that are more economically valuable than the southern fishing season, such as mackerel and tuna. If, on average, each fishing trip of 10-15 days hits a school of fish and yields 3-4 tons, it can bring fishermen about 300-400 million VND. However, in recent years, resources have been depleted, and fuel prices have increased, so fishermen have to plan carefully and are encouraged to fish in cooperative groups. If they are lucky enough to encounter a large school of fish, they can make a big profit."

Based on weather forecasts, strong winds are predicted from November 13th and the following days, with winds reaching level 5, sometimes level 6, gusting to level 7, and rough seas in the offshore area and Phu Quy island district. Therefore, Mr. Thanh informed his fellow fishermen in the solidarity group to postpone their fishing trip. Lasting from October of the previous lunar year to March of the following lunar year, despite facing many adverse weather conditions, the fishing season for the northern sea bass is still considered the main season of the year by fishermen in the province, because the rougher the weather, the more schools of fish and many types of bottom-dwelling fish with high economic value tend to appear.

Fishermen are taking advantage of the time to mend their nets and repair their machinery to ensure a safe and productive fishing trip.

Creating momentum for a bumper crop of the northern variety.

Many fishermen in the province shared that the recent southern fishing season was considered favorable in terms of both weather and fishing grounds. Not only were anchovies abundant, but traditional fishing methods such as purse seine, light-filled nets, and trawl nets also yielded bountiful catches of scad, mackerel, and other scad species. However, the yield was inversely proportional to the price, so after deducting expenses, fishermen didn't make much profit after each trip. Therefore, they are ready to head out to sea to welcome the northern fishing season with the belief that their boats will be full of fish and shrimp, lasting until the end of the year, allowing them to celebrate a prosperous and fulfilling Lunar New Year.

Fishermen hope that the northern fishing season will bring abundant catches, similar to the southern fishing season which brings many economically valuable fish species.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in addition to continuing to implement policies supporting fishermen exploiting distant waters, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Fisheries Sub-Department have regularly coordinated training and guidance for fishermen on new scientific and technical advancements to increase productivity, efficiency, and the value of harvested products. Simultaneously, they have disseminated and popularized the 2017 Fisheries Law. In particular, they have coordinated with the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing to strictly implement the coordination regulations between Binh Thuan and other provinces and functional forces (Navy, Coast Guard, Fisheries Inspection) in the management, prevention, and deterrence of fishing vessels violating foreign waters. They have also implemented regulations on fishing, protecting aquatic resources, and ensuring the safety of people and fishing vessels when operating at sea. Encourage owners of offshore fishing vessels to keep their VMS (Vehicle Monitoring System) devices switched on 24/7 and to fish in cooperative groups or teams to support each other during unpredictable weather conditions…

The gourami fishing season is still considered the main fishing season of the year by fishermen in the province.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the total number of fishing vessels registered as of September 30, 2023, was 5,940, of which 1,958 were 15 meters or longer. From mid-March 2023 to the present, the weather and fishing grounds have been more favorable, and most fishing vessels have been operating efficiently. The estimated seafood production for the whole year 2023 is 233,000 tons/planned 210,000 tons (111% of the plan), equivalent to 100.7% compared to 2022.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/ngu-dan-chuan-bi-vao-vu-bac-114666.html