In the first six months of the year, Ha Tinh province earned over 1.2 trillion VND from seafood exploitation

Despite rising fuel prices, labor costs, and other production expenses, for more than six months, fisherman Tran Ngoc Son from Hai Bang village (Loc Ha commune) and his seven fellow fishermen have maintained a steady, flexible, and efficient production rhythm at sea. On average, each offshore trip, the fishing vessel HT-90192 TS, operating for about a week, catches 600 kg of high - value seafood such as mackerel, scad, scad, pomfret, snapper, and squid.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Son shared: "Despite the hardships, we still persevere in our work, going out to sea about 3-4 times a month. Each trip brings in about 70 million VND; after deducting expenses, each crew member earns about 500,000 VND per day."

To improve fishing efficiency while protecting fishing grounds and developing sustainable fisheries, this year, Loc Ha commune has established 5 self-governing groups to combat IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing with 25 members who are owners of large offshore fishing vessels, and 1 coastal fishing community group with 198 members. Along with this, the locality has effectively implemented policies to encourage fisheries development, promoted the role of state management in the fishing sector, and regularly encouraged fishermen to stay at sea, ensuring their livelihoods and increasing their income.

Ms. Pham Thi Loan, a civil servant at the Economic Department of Loc Ha Commune People's Committee, said: "The entire commune currently has nearly 300 fishing vessels, of which 63 vessels are 12 meters or longer and operate in offshore and deep-sea areas; the rest fish near the shore. Thanks to the hard work of the fishermen and the attention of all levels and sectors, from the beginning of the year until now, the total seafood catch of the commune is estimated at about 1,700 tons." "The production value is approximately 83 billion VND."

In the early months of this year, fuel prices rose at many times, there was a shortage of maritime labor, and many other unfavorable factors significantly affected the fishing activities of fishermen in Ha Tinh, especially those operating in offshore waters. However, with a spirit of overcoming difficulties, local fishermen have actively invested in fishing gear, proactively stayed at sea, and improved production efficiency. At the same time, they are increasingly raising their awareness of complying with the Fisheries Law, strictly implementing regulations on combating IUU fishing, and contributing to the protection of maritime sovereignty and islands.

Mr. Le Hong Nhat, residing in Tam Hai residential area (Hai Ninh ward), stated: “My family's 420 HP fishing vessel consistently operates in the sea area 30-35 nautical miles from the shore using purse seine nets. Each fishing trip involves 12 workers, lasts 7-10 days, and brings back about 6-7 tons of seafood, generating approximately 80-85 million VND per trip. After deducting expenses, each worker earns about 400-500 thousand VND per day.”

To maintain the pace of production at sea and enhance the value of seafood exploitation, localities are always actively supporting fishermen. Mr. Hoang Kim Tuy – Head of the Economic Department, Thien Cam Commune People's Committee, informed: “Currently, there are 352 fishing vessels in the commune, of which 225 are 6 meters or longer. As of June 30th, the commune's fleet has exploited approximately 3,040 tons of seafood (reaching 65% of the annual plan), with an economic value of about 158 ​​billion VND.”

Currently, there are 3,892 registered fishing vessels in the province; of which 60 vessels are 15m or longer operating in offshore areas, 268 vessels are 12-15m long operating in inshore areas, and 3,564 vessels are under 12m long operating in coastal waters.

In the first six months of this year, the province's seafood catch reached 23,016 tons, equivalent to 51.2% of the 2026 plan assigned by the Provincial People's Committee, an increase of nearly 2.6% compared to the same period last year, with a production value of over 1,200 billion VND. Of this, scad accounted for 1,200 tons, valued at nearly 66 billion VND; anchovies nearly 2,000 tons, valued at 93 billion VND; and mackerel 300 tons, valued at 24 billion VND...

Mr. Bui Tuan Son, Head of the Fisheries Sub-Department (Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ha Tinh province), said: “The results of seafood exploitation in the first six months of the year not only reflect the resilience of fishermen but also show the effectiveness of the support from all levels and sectors in developing the fisheries industry. In the coming time, we will continue to coordinate with localities to guide fishermen to exploit according to regulations, strictly implement solutions to combat IUU fishing, modernize the fishing fleet, transform fishing methods towards environmentally friendly practices, enhance product value, and build a sustainable fisheries industry in Ha Tinh.”