Fishing boats in Ninh Thuận Province. – VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Thành

NINH THUẬN – Fishing boats in the south-central province of Ninh Thuận are expected to catch a total of 126,879 tonnes of seafood this year, up 2.5 per cent from 2021.

It exceeds the province’s target for the year, according to its Fisheries Sub-department.

Favourable weather and a large number of boats fishing offshore have been the major reasons for the rise in catch, the sub-department said.

The prices of fuel have been high this year but 90 per cent of the province’s fishing fleet continued to operate, it said.

Võ Hồng Lý, a boat owner in Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm City’s Đông Hải Ward, said good weather and the sub-department’s dissemination of accurate information about fishing grounds helped fish efficiently.

Fishing boats managed large catches and got good prices for them, he said.

His boat makes two trips to sea every month, and catches two to three tonnes of seafood to earn VNĐ150-200 million (US$6,400-8,500), he said.

“After deducting costs, profits account for half.”

Đặng Văn Tín, head of the sub-department, said the province targeted 124,000 tonnes of seafood this year and to achieve it encouraged boat owners to upgrade their vessels with high-capacity and modern equipment for offshore fishing.

The sub-department has supported them with establishing offshore fishing groups to enable them to stay longer at sea and increase their catches, and help each other when there are accidents or natural disasters, he added.

It has strengthened advocacy activities to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and generally tightened oversight of fishing activities.

It has strictly penalised vessels that violate fishing regulations. 

Up to 98 per cent of the province’s 812 offshore fishing boats measuring at least 15m have been installed with vessel monitoring systems.

All such boats are required to instal them to monitor their fishing activities and enable rescue if needed.

Most offshore fishing boats strictly comply with regulations on reporting catches and maintaining catch diaries, according to the sub-department.

The province has had no boats fishing illegally in foreign waters, it added. – VNS