Since the beginning of the year, fishermen in the central coastal province of Phu Yen have brought onshore over 540 tonnes of tuna. The volume represented a decrease of 27 percent year-on-year.
Local fishermen said so far this year, they have enjoyed bumper catches, with each boat netting between 1.5 and 3 tonnes. However, the total amount was less than last year’s figure, the fishermen said, citing the fact that the area around the Dong Tac fishing port was filled with silt has prevented more than 220 local fishing boats from going fishing.
In late February, the port was dredged, making way for all boats to begin their voyages. Local fishermen expect that the improvement of the port together with the use of steel-hulled boats will help increase the volume of tuna.
Phu Yen is now home to nearly 800 fishing boats, working at Hoang Sa and Truong Sa fishing grounds. Local fishermen expect to catch roughly 5,000 tonnes of tuna this year.-VNA
