Ly Son fishermen kick start first fishing activity in Lunar New Year

Hundreds of fishing vessels in Ly Son island district, central Quang Ngai province head to the East Sea for their first offshore fishing trips in the Lunar New Year on February 15.

Fishing vessels in An Hai commune, Ly Son island district on their first offshore fishing trips in the Lunar New Year. (Credit: NDO)

After the customary rituals, offshore vessels carrying the national flag head to their traditional fishing ground in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes with a hope for a bumper season.

To ensure favourable conditions for New Year's offshore trips, hundreds of fishing boats have been repaired, refueled, and equipped with fishing gear since the last lunar month of the previous year. New national flags were hoisted on the roof of each ship’s cabin, with the desire to fly on the country’s sea and islands to encourage fishermen at sea, as well as affirming the sacred national sovereignty over its sea and islands.

Bui Thi Quynh Van, alternate member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of Ly Son island district’s Party Committee, said, "Each fisherman is a soldier and each ship is a fortress at sea. With the national flag flying, they head to the sea to assert the sovereignty of our country."

At two fishing ports in An Hai and An Vinh communes, fishing boats turned for the first session of the year with aspirations for a bumper season. Their destination is in the familiar waters of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. For long the two have been traditional fishing grounds for Ly Son fishermen. Locals who consider the sea as their hometown and part of their flesh and livelihood have not been deterred by tough conditions.

Every year, Ly Son fishermen work more than 11 months for marine resource extraction in the waters of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. Captain Duong Van Giau of QNg 96417 TS boat, said, "Hopefully, the first offshore trip will be fine. It’s not only my wish but the wish of thousands of fishermen on Ly Son Island for a calm sea and bumper season and increased incomes.”

Ly Son island district has a total of 417 fishing vessels, including 120 with a capacity of over 90 CV in An Hai commune working in Hoang Sa and Truong Sa fishing grounds. In 2015, An Hai fishermen brought in more than 17,400 tonnes of sea products worth over VND130 billion, generating incomes of VND100-150 million a year per fisherman.

(Source: NDO)