Sorting out the squid catch Bắc Cửa Việt Port. VNA/VNS Photos Nguyên Lý

QUẢNG TRỊ Fishermen in the central province of Quảng Trị have been delighted to enjoy bumper catches of fish, earning them high profits before Tết (Lunar New Year).

Increasing output and rising prices these days have not only resulted in high incomes, but have also created expectations for a bountiful new fishing season in 2025.

From January 18 to 23, the weather was warm and sunny after many days of rain and cold, the sea was slightly rough, creating favourable conditions for the fishermen to go offshore.

Fishermen headed out in their boats at 5am every morning at Bắc Cửa Việt Port, Cửa Việt Town, Gio Linh District.

At the port, many traders were waiting and preparing scales and vehicles to buy and transport seafood for consumption as quickly as possible.

On fishing trips before the New Year, boats mainly trawl the waters around Cồn Cỏ Island, about 15 - 20 nautical miles off shore, catching anchovy, bream, yellowtail, cuttlefish and crab. Each trip usually lasts two to three days.

Some fishermen head out further, to try and catch tuna and mackerel.

One of the most exploited seafoods is anchovy and many large-capacity ships docked at Bắc Cửa Việt fishing port are carrying tonnes of this fish.

Fishermen classify the fish after returning from the sea.

As soon as the ships dock, fishermen quickly take the anchovy from the storage tanks on the ship, put the fish in plastic trays to have them weighed, then they are immediately put on refrigerated trucks heading out to restaurants and markets. Anchovies are sold at VNĐ35,000 - 40,000 per kg, an increase of about VNĐ5,000 - 10,000 per kg compared to normal days.

Fisherman Nguyễn Văn Sơn, from Thanh Hóa Province, said that the higher earnings had inspired him to land his catch and head straight back out.

“Right after bringing the fish ashore to sell, I came back to sea to fish to take advantage of the favourable weather conditions,” he told Vietnam News Agency.

These days at Nam Cửa Việt fishing port, large-capacity fishing boats are also bustling with buyers and sellers.

In addition to anchovies, many boats also catch large quantities of crabs, cuttlefish and many other types of seafood.

Large capacity ships have revenue from tens to hundreds of millions of Vietnamese đồng after each two to three-day long sea trip.

Quảng Trị fishermen enjoy a bumper season of squid.

Squid weighing 2-3kg each is sold at VNĐ220,000 per kg, while medium crab is VNĐ150,000-160,000 per kg and large crab is VNĐ350,000-400,000 per kg.

Fisherman Bùi Văn Sỹ, from Triệu Phong District, Quảng Trị said he was very excited to catch a lot of squid and crab. It is forecast that the weather will be favourable until the days before Tết.

Fishermen are eagerly going offshore although they need to prepare a lot for the coming holiday. Earning a high income from pre-Tết fishing trips helps many fishing households have that extra money to enjoy the festive season.

Quảng Trị Province currently has about 2,200 fishing vessels, of which nearly 200 are larger capacity boats.

In 2025, the province has set a target of achieving an output of over 27,000 tonnes of seafood.

Acting chairman of the Quảng Trị Provincial People's Committee, Hà Sỹ Đồng, said the province has recommended that fishermen take solutions to both achieve the expected output and implement sustainable fisheries development policies, especially to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. VNS