Da Nang caught up in fishing bonanza

Ngo Thi Kim Cuong of the Da Nang’s Agro-Forestry and Aquatic Extension Centre describes the new techniques as special trawling for pomfret, longline fishing and combination trawling.

Three new fishing techniques are reported to have provided five-to-seven-fold higher catches since their introduction late last year.

Ngo Thi Kim Cuong of the Da Nang’s Agro-Forestry and Aquatic Extension Centre describes the new techniques as special trawling for pomfret, longline fishing and combination trawling.

“Local fisheries wanted to develop the new techniques after seeing them successfully used in coastal provinces, including Nam Dinh and Quang Tri, she says.

Da Nang hosts about 2,000 fishing boats and the coastal city’s administrators provided their owners with financial help after they realised the potential of the new techniques.

“Each of these three methods is suitable for vessels of varying capacity which means different nets,” Cuong told the Viet Nam News.

Longline fishing – a long mainline carrying baited hooks attached on “snoods” – is usually for large-capacity sea-going vessels.

It is often used to support traditional trawling.

Le Van Xin, of Son Tra District, who owns a 380-CV (horsepower) boat, was provided VND56 million (about US$2,900) to enhance the efficiency of his longline fishing.

The fisherman explains that trawlers have previously gone longline fishing but a lack of investment has made them inefficient.

“Unlike trawling, which is mostly confined to the use of nets, longline fishing needs baits and snoods,” he says.

“We had only enough to buy boats and trawling equipment.

“The financial aid I received was used to buy bait and have specific type of snoods made. The result was higher efficiency.”

Shark is the target of the longliners.

The creature is seldom netted but Le Van Xin, who has fished for more than 30 years, says it is susceptible to longline fishing, especially in choppy water.

“Shark, particular heavy shark, has a high economic value because of its precious fins. A large shark can sell for VND15 million ($780),” he says.

The fisherman caught three tonnes of fish during his latest trip, a third from longline fishing, and made a profit of VND100 million ($5,300).

Another technique is special trawling to catch pomfret which, according to Cuong, is abundant along the coast and realises about VND250,000-280,000 per kilogramme when exported.

“The key is a fishing net suitable for the of a pomfret,” says Cuong. “Each section is 26m by 70m with a mesh of 10.5cm.”

The owners of 25 boats spent money to use the method during the last three months of last year.

They included Truong Hai whose 150kg of the fish provided him a profit of VND30 million ($1,600).

“The advantage of this technique is the low cost and high feasibility,” he says.

The cost of combination trawling is very high and as a result Le Van Nhan, of Nai Hien Dong Commune, is the only fisherman to use it so far.

To do so, he spent VND500 million ($26,000) to buy 100 fishing nets, each 50m by 38m in addition to the VND112 million ($5,900) the city provided.

His first-trip catch totalled 500kg of mackerel and shark and a profit of VND29 million($1,500).

“Although the initial investment is heavy, in the long run, it will be cost effective due to low fuel and maintenance costs and the harvesting of high-quality fish which does not need too many people to work,” he says.

Da Nang’s total seafood harvest last year was 35,700 tonnes or 93 per cent of the initial plan and it is hoped the new techniques will improve the figure.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Tags: Vietnam fishing