Difficulties in fishing industry reduce productivity

Hundreds of ships have returned to Tho Quang Dock in Danang City, Quang Nam Province with small catches. According to Le Dung, a ship owner, the final months of the year is usually high season for mackerel, tuna and squid, however their ships had to seek shelter from cold wind and rough waters much of the time. Usually he could expect several tonnes of fish per year, but he faced a grimmer situation this year. After a week, Dung’s ship used up 1,500 litres of fuel and huge amount of food for ten crew mates. "Each trip costs VND40-50 million, but we can only earn an average of VND10 million(USD480) per venture. I want to take a few more trips times. I’m still hoping that we will be able to catch fish. Still rising fuel prices concern me, as now they account for 60-70% of our travel expenses," he said. Another ship owner, Tran Ban, said they had to seek shelter four out of ten days at sea. The water became colder and the waves stronger this year, so that many types of fish have changed their migration routes, emptying the familiar fishing waters. Ngo Van Cat, Deputy Manager of Tho Quang Lock said normally they receive 50-60 ships a day, but this month only three to four ships arrived. He said, "We needed over 100 tonnes of fish a day in order to meet the demands of hotels, restaurants and other customers, but production has sharply decreased." As a result, fish prices have increased by 40-50%. Cat said the prices may increase as Tet nears.