Thuan An fishing port has just been invested in construction with infrastructure to meet the needs of anchoring and storm shelter for about 500 boats.

Still sedimented

During the recent storms No. 6 and No. 10, many fishing boats rushed ashore to take shelter from the storm at Thuan An Fishing Port. However, fishermen's activities encountered difficulties due to the silting of the fishing port's waterway. After passing through Thuan An estuary, most of the boats docked at the old fishing port (wharf No. 1) to sell seafood and then find a place to anchor and avoid the storm. Meanwhile, next to it is wharf No. 2, the infrastructure has been invested in and newly built, but very few boats come in and out.

Fisherman Tran Giap (Thuan An ward), owner of a fishing boat with a capacity of 820CV, said that fishermen rarely dock, unload aquatic products or take shelter from storms at wharf No. 2 because the channel is still shallow. In situations where they need to avoid or take shelter from storms and encounter big waves, if the channel is shallow, accidents can easily happen. In the long term, fishermen hope that the channel will be dredged to ensure the depth of the channel bottom, especially for vessels with a capacity of over 700CV providing fishing logistics services entering the port to load and unload aquatic products.

It is known that wharf No. 2 of the Thuan An Fishing Port project combined with the storm shelter anchorage area with a total investment of 215 billion VND, invested by the Department of Agriculture and Environment, was completed in 2023 and handed over to the Thuan An Fishing Port Management Board for management and operation in 2024. According to the design, the project will be put into operation to ensure the scale for ships to dock and depart with a minimum capacity of 20,000 tons/year, meeting the anchorage and storm shelter needs of about 500 ships of all types with a length of 6m or more, equivalent to a capacity of 45 to 300CV. However, recently, especially after each storm, local sedimentation points have appeared in some channels of Thuan An Fishing Port, making it difficult for fishermen to enter and exit the port.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, because the construction area of ​​the fishing port is located opposite the Thuan An estuary and near the end of the outlet of the Huong River, during the rainy and stormy season, the amount of mud and sand blown in by waves and winds from the estuary converges with the water flowing out of the Huong River, causing local sedimentation in some locations on the shipping channel and anchorage area. Specifically, it has caused local sedimentation at the entrance of the channel with an area of ​​about 150m2 and 5 locations that are still locally high on the channel and anchorage area of ​​about 350m2.

By early February 2025, the investor and the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Agricultural and Rural Development Works had directed the supervision consultant and contractor to inspect and conduct dredging of these local points to complete the project warranty. On February 24, 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) had a meeting with the People's Committee of Thuan An Ward and the Fisheries Union and agreed to assess that the entry and exit of boats to Thuan An to avoid storms is normal.

Need long-term solutions

Recently, the City People's Committee also issued a document directing the Department of Agriculture and Environment to preside over and coordinate with relevant units to research, continue to monitor and track the sedimentation status of the shipping route, channel, and anchorage area at Thuan An Fishing Port in order to have a plan to ensure effective operation of the fishing port according to regulations.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Duc, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said that in early 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) had a working session with the People's Committee of Thuan An Ward and the fishing union. According to the proposal of the fishing union, to serve the fishing logistics service vessels carrying about 30 - 40 tons of cargo and some large vessels entering and leaving the wharf, the turning area with a size of 50x100m is currently short, leading to difficulties when many ships dock at the same time. On that basis, this unit proposed to continue dredging to extend the front part of the wharf to about 50m wide and 130m long, with a bottom elevation of -3.4m, with a total length of the wharf area to be dredged of about 230m.

Based on that reality, the Department of Construction has sent a document to the City People's Committee on the report of the inspection results of investment, project management, construction, and acceptance of construction items of the Thuan An Fishing Port Project combined with the storm shelter anchorage area. According to the proposal of the Department of Construction, due to the development of the fishing industry, more and more large vessels, especially fishing logistics service purchasing vessels with large capacity from 800 - 1000CV need to enter the port, so dredging more channels and berths is absolutely necessary.

Regarding solutions for the coming time, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Duc informed that, implementing the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the City People's Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is currently coordinating with departments and branches to develop a plan for the maintenance and repair of fishing port works and storm shelters for fishing vessels in the period of 2026 - 2030 with the goal of ensuring the depth of the shipping channel and the boat parking area meets the requirements according to regulations. The Department will also report to the City People's Committee for consideration and decision on the plan for the maintenance and repair of fishing port works and storm shelters for fishing vessels in the period of 2026 - 2030.

Article and photos: HA NGUYEN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/xay-dung-giao-thong/dam-bao-do-sau-luong-lach-khu-neo-dau-tau-ca-158376.html