HCM CITY — The total fish catch in the country reached 496,900 tonnes in the first two months of the year, up 1.2 per cent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Marine fishing increased by 2.2 per cent to 473,900 tonnes while the inland catch declined by 14.8 per cent to 23,000 tonnes.

Many provinces and cities have reported good catches because of favourable weather and the appearance of large quantities of fish after Tết (Lunar New Year).

In the central region, fishermen reported bumper catches of many species like anchovy, creamfish, mackerel, yellowfin flying fish, and tuna.  

In the south-central province of Ninh Thuận, Cà Ná Fishing Port in Thuận Nam District has been busy as boats have been arriving filled with fish since Tết.  

Thân Thị Hoài Ân, owner of a fishing boat in Thuận Nam’s Cà Ná Commune, said her boat caught around 200 baskets of anchovy -- of 16kg each -- on the first night of fishing after Tết.

It earned a profit of VNĐ30 million (US$1,300) from the trip, she said.

Dương Văn Tuyên of the Cà Ná Fishing Port management said fishermen in Thuận Nam District have got bumper catches this year.

The port has been receiving 40-50 boats a day since February 19, he said.

Many boats have caught 200-300 baskets of anchovy a night, he said.

The weather was unfavourable for fishing before Tết and many boats could not go fishing, but it became favourable after the festival, he said.

In the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Bạc Liêu, the ruốc (a species of small shrimp) catching season has begun and fishermen are earning high profits because of good catches.

In Bạc Liêu City, fishing boats caught 100-300kg of ruốc each in just 2-3 hours.

Traders bought the shrimp at VNĐ15,000–20,000 per kilogramme.

Nguyễn Văn Hai of Bạc Liêu’s Nhà Mát Ward said his boat earns a profit of VNĐ4-5 million ($170 - 220) a day from ruốc.

The aquaculture harvest in the first two months has topped 551,000 tonnes, up 5.8 per cent year-on-year, according to the ministry.

The output of tra fish, black tiger shrimp and white-legged shrimp all increased.

The delta, the country’s largest tra producer, harvested 163,300 tonnes of the fish, up 8 per cent.

Its prices have reached record highs of VNĐ28,000–29,500 a kilogramme because of booming exports.

The delta harvested 29,800 tonnes of black tiger shrimp, up 8.1 per cent. — VNS