Quynh Luu fishermen earn millions every day thanks to a big catch of herring.

Fishermen in Quynh Nghia commune (Quynh Luu) pull nets of herring ashore. Photo: Viet Hung

At nearly 7am, fishermen from Quynh Nghia commune gathered in large numbers at the beach to harvest herring. Each net was spread out so that people could easily remove the fish. Quickly removing the fish, fisherman Ho Xuan Sang said that this season is mainly herring, so all fishermen take advantage of the opportunity to go to sea to catch them. If you go to sea at around 3am, you can harvest herring by 6am the same day.

“After 3 hours of fishing for herring, this morning my boat caught 200 kg of herring, after deducting expenses, it brought in an income of about 3.5 million VND. Since after Tet until now, I have made 10 such trips, which means my income has reached over 30 million VND,” fisherman Ho Xuan Sang said happily.

Fisherman Ho Xuan Sang was excited when this trip caught a lot of herring. Photo: Viet Hung

Sharing the joy, Nguyen Van Tu's boat in Quynh Nghia commune hit the jackpot with 180 kg of herring after only 3 hours of fishing at sea. Tu said that herring is caught by fishermen from the beginning of the first lunar month to the end of March. Depending on the region, people use large-capacity boats to catch herring in the open sea, but for fishermen in Quynh Nghia commune, they mainly fish in the near-shore area, 5-6 nautical miles from the mainland. Each herring fishing boat has only one person and 4-5 nets as fishing gear. Wherever they go, fishermen drop their nets until they run out of nets and then return to pull the nets back onto the boat.

Herring fishing depends on the fish flow, if lucky, you can catch 4-5 quintals, otherwise, on average, 1.5-2.5 quintals. After returning to shore, each boat owner will mobilize relatives or hire workers to remove the fish. Because fishing only takes a few hours, the herrings are always fresh and green when removed. As the fish are removed, traders come and buy them all at a price of 15,000-25,000 VND/kg (depending on the type), then take them to the markets to sell. Every day, I go fishing for herring for about 2-3 hours and can earn millions. When the season ends, we change jobs to ensure we have a source of income.
Fisherman Nguyen Van Tu

Because they are caught close to shore, the herring are fresh and green when pulled up. Photo: Viet Hung

Fishermen gather to remove fish. Photo: Viet Hung

Quynh Nghia commune has about 50 boats specializing in coastal seafood exploitation, mainly catching herring, mantis shrimp, crab, anchovy... After Tet holiday until now, fishermen here mainly fish for herring with an output of over 150 tons, revenue of over 3 billion VND.

Mr. To Duy Hien - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Nghia Commune (Quynh Luu) said: "Taking advantage, in the first days of the new year, local fishermen actively stick to the sea to catch seafood. The whole commune currently has over 94 offshore fishing vessels, in addition, there are dozens of vessels specializing in coastal fishing. For nearshore fishing boats, at this time, people mainly catch herring. With such high estimated output and value, it has helped local people have a stable source of income. This is also the motivation for them to continue going offshore to stick to the sea, confident and hopeful for a successful fishing year".

Traders buy herring and bring it to the market to sell. Photo: Viet Hung

Not only fishermen in Quynh Nghia commune but also people in some coastal communes of Quynh Luu district such as Quynh Long, Quynh Luong, Quynh Minh, Quynh Bang... are also actively fishing for herring at sea. Every day, fishermen in this district exploit about 30 - 35 tons of herring. With the herring caught during the day, in addition to bringing it to the market to sell fresh, people in coastal areas also dry it in the sun or grill it on hot coals to preserve it for a long time.

Herring is a marine fish, the English name is Sardinella, quite small in size, an adult weighs only about 100gr and is about 15cm long. The fish has slightly green skin and scales and an elongated body, it also has quite small bones. In particular, under the belly there are very sharp and pointed serrated teeth. Herring has many benefits for human health, using herring helps increase red blood cell production; reduce inflammation and some diseases; reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke; help bones healthy; nourish the nervous system.

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