Fishermen in Phu Yen province reported a bumper catch of tuna during Tet. (Source: VNA)PhuYen (VNS/VNA) - Many fishermen in the central region have reportedbumper catches during Tet (the Lunar New Year).
In Phu Yen, one of the country’sbiggest tuna fishing provinces, many boats from Tuy Hoa city that went offshorebefore Tet (February 5) returned on the fourth day of the newyear, each with 25 – 30 fish weighing a total of 1.2 – 1.5 tonnes.
Most made a profit of 70 – 200million VND (3,000 – 8,600 USD), according to their owners. Traders at the portbought the fish at 130,000 VNA (5.6 USD) a kilogramme.
Nguyen Van Bin said he caught morethan 30 tunas weighing a total of 1.5 tonnes after fishing offshore for 18 days.
“We took enough food, cakes, softdrinks, and beer to celebrate Tet on thesea.”
Fishing during Tet brings a higher profit than normal days since theprice of tuna is high then, he said.
After the fourth day of the new yearmore than 60 boats that went fishing for tuna, mackerel, cuttlefish and otherspecies returned to Dong Tac and Phu Lac fishing ports in Phu Yen.
Boats that fish near shore also gotgood catches after resuming just after Tet.
Thousands of fishermen in Ninh Thuan,Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai provinces reported bumper catches of anchovy on thefourth day of the year.
In Ninh Hai and Thuan Nam districtsand Phan Rang – Thap Cham city in Ninh Thuan, each boat caught 3.5 – 4 tonnesof anchovy in one day of fishing, earning around 50 million VND (2,150 USD). Themain anchovy season is between Tet and thefourth lunar month.
In Nghe An province, dozens offishing boats filled with herring docked at Quynh Phuong fishing port in HoangMai town on the fifth day of Tet.
Nguyen Van Thanh of Hoang Mai’s QuynhPhuong ward said he had caught four tonnes of herring and nearly two tonnes ofother fish in just one day of fishing near shore. Every man on the trip earnednearly 10 million VND (430 USD), he said.
Ho Xuan Huong, Chairman of the QuynhPhuong Ward People’s Committee, said the bumper catches in the first trip afterTet would motivate fishermen to go offshore.
The commune has more than 600fishing boats and expects to catch 20,000 tonnes of fish and other species thisyear, according to the chairman.
Many boat owners in the central andsouthern regions who did not go offshore during Tet have resumed fishing.
In Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, manyfishermen left on the fourth day of the year.
The prices of fuel, fishing toolsand other materials are steady and there are enough men for fishing, accordingto boat owners in the province.
Tran Ngoc Tam, a fisherman in LongDien district’s Phuoc Tinh commune, said boats normally go out on the fourth,sixth, eighth, or 10th day of the year.-VNS/VNA
VNA
