Duong Van Toi returned to shore with 17 tonnes of anchovies after fishing for only one day in the Sa Ky Sea, located in the central province of Quang Ngai .

After deducting expenses from the trip, Toi, who is from Son Tinh district's Tinh Ky commune, fetched a profit of 35 million VND (1,800 USD) from his catch.

Toi is one of hundreds of fishermen in Quang Ngai who have had bumper catches and earned big profits after resuming fishing following the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

Tran Dinh Chien, chairman of the Tinh Ky Commune People's Committee, said fishing boats in the commune have each caught an average of five tonnes of anchovies each day after Tet.

With the current anchovy price of 12,000 VND a kilo, each boat can earn revenue of 60 million VND, Chien said. Tinh Ky has 200 anchovy-fishing boats.

The anchovy season often reaches its peak in the third month of the lunar year, but in recent years, anchovies have appeared in large quantities and near the shore after Tet.

"Previously, fishing boats had to go 30-40 nautical miles offshore, but now they can catch the fish at 20-25 nautical miles," said Le Quang, a fisherman from Son Tinh District.

Besides anchovy, fishermen have also hauled in big catches of tuna, mackerel, pomfret and flying fish.

Tran Em, deputy chairman of the Duc Pho District People's Committee, said after Tet many fishing boats in the district resumed fishing earlier than in previous years.

Since the end of Tet, the district fishermen have caught more than 1,500 tonnes of various fish species, Em said.

Nguyen Thi Minh, owner of a seafood purchasing unit at Sa Huynh Port in Duc Pho, said she is able to buy more fish in the first month of this lunar year compared to last year.

Fishermen in the central provinces of Phu Yen and Binh Dinh have also caught more breeder lobsters because of this year's cooler weather.

In Binh Dinh province, the Quy Nhon City 's Economic Bureau reported that fishermen in Nhon Hai and Nhon Ly communes and Hai Cang and Ghenh Rang wards have caught more than 60,000 breeder lobsters, double the amount compared to the same period last year.

Traders in Binh Dinh are paying 160,000 VND for each breeder lobster.

In Phu Yen Province , fishermen in Tuy Hoa City 's An Phu commune and Tuy An district's An Chan as well as An Hoa and An Hai communes said each fishing boat could catch 15-20 breeder lobsters a day.

Pham Van Tru from An Phu commune said that each fishing boat caught more than 30 breeder lobsters on certain evenings.

Most lobster fishermen have earned more income than last year, Tru said./.