Quang Nam fishermen determined to go offshore

Nui Thanh district has the most developed fishing industry in Quang Nam province. Of the more than 3,000 fishing boats in Quang Nam province, about 70% are concentrated in Nui Thanh district. The powerful offshore fishing fleet of Nui Thanh district belongs to 3 unions in 3 communes: Tam Quang, Tam Hai and Tam Giang, with dozens of groups and teams united in production at sea. Tam Quang commune fishing union was established more than 10 years ago (June 7, 2012), is a solid foundation, accompanying and supporting fishermen to go offshore and stick to the sea to exploit seafood.

Of which, Tam Quang commune has more than 13,000 people, the most populous commune in Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province. This is also a key commune in the fishing industry in Nui Thanh district. The majority of people live on fishing. The whole commune has more than 340 fishing boats at sea, of which more than 200 are offshore fishing boats.

Tam Quang fishing port seen from above. Photo: Internet.

The advantage of Tam Quang commune's fishing industry is that Tam Quang fishing port in the commune is continuing to be invested in and upgraded from a type 2 fishing port to a type 1 fishing port. Tam Quang fishing port meets the logistics needs of the marine industry well, because it has a seafood processing area; the fishing boat repair and production area has activities of supplying fishing gear and connecting with service establishments and fish markets in the area.

Mr. Ngo Van Dinh, Director of the Center for Fishing Vessel Inspection and Fishing Port Management of Quang Nam Province, said: Tam Quang fishing port officially came into operation on February 10, 2022. The port is 254 m long, 163 m has been handed over, the rest is under construction, and is expected to be handed over by the end of this year. Since its inauguration, Tam Quang fishing port has operated effectively, creating favorable conditions for fishermen to catch and exploit seafood, and supply necessities for long-distance ships, in order to go offshore, stick to the sea and protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also included Tam Quang fishing port in the list of ports with a sufficient system to confirm the origin of seafood exploitation, control illegal fishing activities, unreported fishing activities according to regulations, and combat illegal fishing (IUU).

A special highlight of the fishing industry in Tam Quang commune is that most fishermen operate according to the mother ship - child ship model. Accordingly, the child ship follows the mother ship to sea to catch seafood, then transports seafood back to shore to sell, buy fuel, food, provisions, and other essential items, and continues to go to sea to serve logistics. This model helps fishermen reduce fuel costs, increase seafood exploitation capacity, and reduce product loss after exploitation.

Mr. Do Huu Hoa, a fisherman from Tam Quang commune, owner of Quang Nam fishing boat 90442, said: A sea trip lasts about 15 days, the boat operates in a certain sea area. The fishing grounds are Vietnamese waters, wherever there are fish, we go. Thanks to the monitoring of the navigation device, people know where to stop, where they are allowed to go, and where to exploit in Vietnamese waters. People comply with the general regulations of the State.

Every year, Tam Quang commune authorities coordinate with relevant agencies to train and educate fishermen about sea and island sovereignty. First of all, comply with the provisions of the Fisheries Law, avoid illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU). At the same time, they educate fishermen through loudspeakers and Zalo messages. Vessels 15 m or longer are equipped with a journey monitoring device; vessels without such devices are not allowed to go to sea.

Tam Quang commune fishing boats go out to sea to fish offshore.   Photo: Internet.

For sustainable development of the fishing industry, the Tam Quang commune government, especially the functional forces, always stand side by side and support fishermen to go out to sea and stick to the sea. In any conditions and circumstances, the functional forces are always present in time to rescue and protect the safety of fishermen's lives and property.

Mr. Phan Vinh Tien, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tam Quang Commune, said: The Coast Guard, together with the border guards, support the people, creating great motivation for fishermen to go offshore and stick to the sea. The commune coordinates with the Ky Ha border guard station to propagate laws at sea, support people with means of communication; and open many classes to propagate techniques for catching and processing seafood at sea.

In recent years, Quang Nam province has supported fishermen with bank loans at preferential interest rates to develop the fishing industry. Thanks to this source of capital, fishermen in Tam Quang commune have been able to build large-capacity boats. Thanks to the State's loan support policy and the efforts of the people, in recent years, fishermen have changed their offshore fishing gear, have better gear for offshore fishing, and have higher fishing efficiency. The average income of fishermen is more than 100 million VND/year (nearly 4,100 USD/year).

Fisherman Tran Ho, Tam Quang commune, said: Since Quang Nam province has a fund to support fishermen to lend capital, fishermen have been very excited. If there were no fund to help fishermen build new or convert fishing boats, fishermen would not be able to do business and would face many difficulties. Through the fund, I borrowed 1 billion 50 million VND (more than 43,000 USD) to build a 718 CV boat to go offshore to Hoang Sa sea, clinging to Hoang Sa fishing grounds.

Taking advantage of marine resources, fishermen in Tam Quang commune have been actively sticking to the sea to exploit and catch seafood. Thanks to sustainable fisheries development, the lives of fishermen in Tam Quang commune have been stable and changed positively, contributing significantly to the development of the marine economy in Quang Nam province. Fisheries in Tam Quang commune have made an important contribution to helping Tam Quang commune achieve the new rural commune standards in 2019./.

Dan Hung