At this time, fishermen in coastal districts in Thanh Hoa are in the jellyfish catching season. Each trip out to sea, just counting the money from selling jellyfish, people can earn from 2-4 million VND per boat.

Mr. Le Truong Que in Hoang Truong commune, Hoang Hoa district, said that his family has been fishing for many years, mainly using rafts. Every morning at around 4am, he and his wife prepare their fishing gear to go out to sea, and by 10am the boat reaches shore.

On each trip, Mr. Que and his wife earn 1-2 tons of shrimp and fish; after deducting expenses, they earn about 500,000-700,000 VND/person/day.

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Fishermen catch a big haul of red jellyfish in the waters of Hoang Truong commune, Hoang Hoa district. Photo: Le Duong

Jellyfish season is the most leisurely fishing season. Jellyfish float on the sea surface, just need to be scooped up onto the boat, that's why income is many times higher than usual.

"A jellyfish costs 15,000-20,000 VND. After deducting expenses, my wife and I earn 2-4 million VND on each trip," said Mr. Que.

According to Mr. Que, in the past, no one ate this type of jellyfish. Fishermen saw jellyfish floating on the water surface, and when they got caught in their nets, they removed them. In recent years, as tourism has developed, jellyfish have become more popular, so the price is high.

In which, Mr. Que commented that red jellyfish is a rare seafood, with a higher price than white jellyfish.

“Red jellyfish are rarely caught. During jellyfish season, fishermen are lucky to catch a few on their trip to the sea. Because red jellyfish are rare and of better quality, people often keep them to prepare dishes for their families,” said Mr. Que.

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The transparent red jellyfish, after processing, cost from 500,000-700,000 VND/box (10kg). Photo: Le Duong

According to fishermen here, the difference is that red jellyfish only appear seasonally, starting from mid-January to May of the lunar calendar every year. However, due to the small quantity, the price of red jellyfish is also higher than white jellyfish, ranging from 5,000-10,000 VND/piece.

Mr. Le Pham Thao (born in 1989), residing in Hoang Truong commune - owner of a jellyfish processing facility, shared that the jellyfish season only lasts a few months, peaking in the second lunar month every year. On average, his workshop processes about 1 ton of jellyfish per day, equivalent to 1,000-1,200 jellyfish.

With the current selling price of about 25,000 VND/kg of jellyfish body and 30,000 VND/kg of jellyfish legs, after deducting expenses, he earns 1-1.5 million VND per day.

Mr. Thao said that because red jellyfish are very rare, every year he has to collect them from boats, but the quantity is also small. This year, at the beginning of the season, fishermen have had a big catch of red jellyfish, with the quantity reaching up to a ton.

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Red jellyfish can be processed into many dishes such as: salad, jellyfish hotpot, soup... Photo: Le Duong

“After purchasing, I separate the jellyfish body and legs. Next, I process, soak, and remove slime... After that, the jellyfish is washed, mixed with salt and alum for preservation.

Currently, the price of finished red jellyfish I sell is from 500,000-700,000 VND/box (10kg), depending on whether the jellyfish has a body or legs and depends on the time," said Mr. Thao.

According to Mr. Thao, the reason red jellyfish is twice as expensive as white jellyfish is because this type is rare, delicious, and crispy, so many customers in and outside the province love it. Red jellyfish can also be processed into many dishes, such as: salad, jellyfish hotpot, soup...

Going out to sea to catch jellyfish, Thanh Hoa fishermen earn millions every day

Going out to sea to catch jellyfish, Thanh Hoa fishermen earn millions every day

During jellyfish season, fishermen in coastal areas of Thanh Hoa are having a bumper harvest. Each trip out to sea, they earn from 3 to 5 million VND.