For over a month, the BD.98207-TS boat of fisherman To Van Thong, in Hoai Huong commune, Hoai Nhon town, Binh Dinh province, has been stuck on shore. Fisherman To Van Thong said that his boat has been catching skipjack tuna for many years. It is currently the main fishing season, but fishermen are facing difficulties because the minimum size of skipjack tuna allowed to be exploited is 500mm.
According to Mr. To Van Thong, skipjack tuna with a minimum length of 500mm is very rare, so the catch is low, not enough to cover the cost of a trip. Meanwhile, the price of skipjack tuna has decreased from 30,000 VND/kg to 19,000 VND/kg, making fishing even more difficult for fishermen.
“Fishermen fish according to Decree 37 of the State. According to the size regulations of skipjack tuna, we cannot catch enough products of that fish, there are very few fish in Vietnam's sea. Without income, how can we go fishing? The Decree was recently issued, when we could not catch enough, my boat has been on shore for more than a month now,” Mr. Thong shared.
Hoai Nhon town is the place with the largest number of fishing boats in Binh Dinh province. This locality has 2,114 boats from 15m and above, of which 1,500 are ocean tuna fishing boats, the rest are skipjack tuna fishing boats with some other industries. On average, each month, a boat catches about 20 tons - 30 tons of skipjack tuna, earning about 600 million VND - 900 million VND. After the regulation that the minimum length of skipjack tuna allowed to be exploited is 500mm, the output of skipjack tuna exploited at Tam Quan port, Hoai Nhon town decreased.
Currently, businesses and companies in the Tam Quan fishing port area, Hoai Nhon town have stopped purchasing skipjack tuna for export. Mr. Pham Truong, Secretary of the Hoai Nhon Town Party Committee, suggested that the functional departments of Binh Dinh province should soon propose to the Central Government to consider and amend the minimum size of skipjack tuna allowed for exploitation, creating conditions for fishermen to go offshore and catch:
“The current deadlock is that fishermen catch tuna according to the minimum size allowed to be exploited according to Decree No. 37/2024 of the Government. Fishermen go fishing but businesses cannot buy this tuna, so they cannot go fishing, many boats are stuck on shore. Even private traders are forcing down prices and buying on credit. This is the current difficulty of the marine economy. We suggest that we soon study and make recommendations to the Central Government to resolve it,” said Mr. Truong.
From July to November every year is the peak season for skipjack tuna fishing for fishermen in the Central region. At this time in previous years, Quy Nhon fishing port was bustling, with boats coming and going continuously. This year, there were only trawlers, ocean tuna fishing boats, and a few skipjack tuna fishing boats giving orders to leave port.
Mr. Dao Xuan Thien, Director of Binh Dinh Fishing Port Management Board, said that the number of skipjack tuna with a length of 500mm is very low, leading to fishermen returning from fishing not meeting the regulations to confirm the origin of the seafood. According to Mr. Dao Xuan Thien, there are currently about 100 skipjack tuna fishing boats anchored at Quy Nhon port.
“Fishermen returning from fishing do not meet the regulations to determine the origin, leading to manufacturing companies stopping purchasing and lowering prices. According to statistics and counting the number of boats in that profession, nearly 70% of them are on the shore, so the amount of goods must be reduced,” Mr. Thien stated the reality.
On April 4, 2024, the Government issued Decree No. 37 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 26/2019 dated March 8, 2019 detailing a number of articles and measures to implement the Law on Fisheries. Appendix V of this Decree stipulates the minimum size allowed to be exploited for aquatic species living in natural waters, in which skipjack tuna has a minimum length allowed to be exploited of 500mm.
In Binh Dinh province, among the skipjack tuna caught annually, the type with a length of 500mm or more accounts for only about 10-15%, the rest are mainly the type with a length of 300mm to under 400mm. The number of tuna purse seine fishing vessels that have to stay ashore and not go fishing has greatly affected the aquatic production activities and the lives of a part of the fishermen, who are the ship owners and crew members.
Based on this reality, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh province has sent a document requesting the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to consider regulating the minimum size allowed to exploit skipjack tuna and other aquatic species living in natural waters. Accordingly, the province requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to consider, based on the biological characteristics of skipjack tuna and other aquatic species, to review and reconsider the regulation on the minimum size allowed to exploit skipjack tuna and other aquatic species living in natural waters according to the provisions of Decree No. 37/2024 of the Government.
Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Chairman of Binh Dinh Provincial People's Committee, said that reviewing the regulations on the minimum size allowed to exploit skipjack tuna will contribute to the conservation, protection and sustainable development of aquatic resources but will not greatly affect the fishing activities of fishermen.
“Currently, skipjack tuna is from 300mm to 500mm in size, with fish over 500mm yielding very low levels of only 15%. The main fishing grounds are fish from 300mm to 400mm. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requested that only fish over 500mm be caught. Regarding this, we have sent a document to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requesting consideration of regulations on the minimum size allowed for exploitation of skipjack tuna and other aquatic species living in natural waters according to the provisions of Decree No. 37,” Mr. Tuan added.
Source: https://vov.vn/kinh-te/ngu-dan-gap-kho-khi-khai-thac-ca-ngu-van-chieu-dai-toi-thieu-500mm-post1127500.vov
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