Quang Nam fishermen determined to go offshore

Nui Thanh district has the most developed fishing industry in Quang Nam province. Of the more than 3,000 fishing boats in Quang Nam province, about 70% are concentrated in Nui Thanh district. The powerful offshore fishing fleet of Nui Thanh district belongs to 3 unions in 3 communes: Tam Quang, Tam Hai and Tam Giang, with dozens of groups and teams united in production at sea. Tam Quang commune fishing union was established more than 10 years ago (June 7, 2012), is a solid foundation, accompanying and supporting fishermen to go offshore, stick to the sea to exploit seafood.

Of which, Tam Quang commune has more than 13,000 people, is the most populous commune in Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province. This is also a key commune in the fishing industry in Nui Thanh district. Most of the people live by fishing. The whole commune has more than 340 fishing boats at sea, of which more than 200 are offshore fishing boats.

Tam Quang fishing port seen from above. Photo: Internet.

The advantage of Tam Quang commune's fishing industry is that Tam Quang fishing port in the commune is continuing to be invested in and upgraded from a type 2 fishing port to a type 1 fishing port. Tam Quang fishing port meets the logistics needs of the maritime industry well, because it has a seafood processing area; a fishing boat repair and production area that provides fishing gear and is connected with service establishments and fish markets in the area.

Mr. Ngo Van Dinh, Director of the Center for Fishing Vessel Inspection and Fishing Port Management of Quang Nam Province, said: Tam Quang fishing port officially came into operation on February 10, 2022. The port is 254 m long, 163 m has been handed over, the rest is under construction, expected to be handed over by the end of this year. Since its inception, Tam Quang fishing port has operated effectively, creating favorable conditions for fishermen to catch and exploit seafood, supply necessities for long-distance ships, to go offshore, stick to the sea and protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also included Tam Quang fishing port in the list of ports with a sufficient system to confirm the origin of seafood exploitation, control illegal fishing activities, not report according to regulations, and combat illegal fishing (IUU).

A special highlight of the fishing industry in Tam Quang commune is that most fishermen operate according to the mother ship - child ship model. Accordingly, the child ship follows the mother ship to sea to catch seafood, then transports seafood back to shore to sell, buy fuel, food, provisions, and other essential items, and continues to go to sea to serve logistics. This model helps fishermen reduce fuel costs, increase seafood exploitation capacity, and reduce product loss after exploitation.

Mr. Do Huu Hoa, a fisherman from Tam Quang commune, owner of Quang Nam fishing boat 90442, said: A sea trip lasts about 15 days, the boat operates in a certain sea area. The fishing grounds are Vietnamese waters, wherever there are fish, we go. Thanks to the monitoring of the navigation device, people know where to stop, where they are allowed to go, and where to exploit in Vietnamese waters. People comply with the general regulations of the State.

Every year, the Tam Quang commune government coordinates with relevant agencies to train and educate fishermen about the sovereignty of the sea and islands. First of all, comply with the provisions of the Fisheries Law, avoid illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU). At the same time, propaganda is disseminated to fishermen through loudspeakers and messages via Zalo. Vessels 15 m or longer are equipped with voyage monitoring devices; vessels without such devices are not allowed to go to sea.

Tam Quang commune fishing boats go out to sea to fish offshore.   Photo: Internet.

For sustainable development of the fishing industry, the Tam Quang commune government, especially the functional forces, always stand side by side with and support fishermen to go out to sea and stick to the sea. In any conditions and circumstances, the functional forces are always present in time to rescue and protect the safety of fishermen's lives and property.

Mr. Phan Vinh Tien, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tam Quang Commune, said: The Coast Guard and the border guards support the people, creating great motivation for fishermen to go offshore and stick to the sea. The commune coordinates with the Ky Ha border guard station to propagate the law at sea, support the people with means of communication; open many classes to propagate techniques of catching and processing seafood at sea.

In recent times, Quang Nam province has supported fishermen with bank loans at preferential interest rates to develop the fishing industry. Thanks to this source of capital, fishermen in Tam Quang commune have been able to build large capacity boats. Thanks to the State's loan support policy and the efforts of the people, in recent years, fishermen have changed their offshore fishing means, have better means for offshore fishing, and have higher fishing efficiency. The average income of fishermen is more than 100 million VND/year (nearly 4,100 USD/year).

Fisherman Tran Ho, Tam Quang commune, said: Since Quang Nam province has a fund to support fishermen and lend them capital, fishermen have been very excited. Without this fund to help fishermen build new or convert fishing boats, fishermen would not be able to do business and would face great difficulties. Through the fund, I borrowed 1.5 billion VND (more than 43,000 USD) to build a 718 CV boat to go out to sea to Hoang Sa, clinging to the Hoang Sa fishing grounds.

Taking advantage of marine resources, fishermen in Tam Quang commune have been actively sticking to the sea to exploit and catch seafood. Thanks to sustainable fisheries development, the lives of fishermen in Tam Quang commune are stable and changing positively, contributing significantly to the development of the marine economy in Quang Nam province. Fisheries in Tam Quang commune have made an important contribution to helping Tam Quang commune achieve the new rural commune standard in 2019./.

Dan Hung