These days, from early morning, the sea area of Nam Trach commune (Quang Tri province) becomes bustling when many fishing boats return after a night of exploitation. From offshore, boats turn towards the shore, creating a typical working scene of the mackerel catching season.
According to fishermen, ships usually leave the port from the early afternoon of the previous day, moving to an area about 17 nautical miles from the shore to exploit. At about 5 am the next morning, the ships simultaneously returned. In the peak season, mackerel output is quite stable, many trips reaching 5–7 quintals, some trips nearly 1 ton.
Because they cannot dock close to the shore, the boats are anchored about 50m from the beach. Fish are transferred in by basket boats. The basket boat driver continuously moves between the boat and the shore to bring fish in. Each trip is full of fish, the work takes place quickly to be consumed in the morning.
Fishermen said that when the weather is favorable, each sea trip can bring in an income of about 10–15 million VND, helping to stabilize life during the peak fishing season.
Right on the sandy beach, purchasing activities take place in parallel with the process of bringing fish ashore. From early morning, many female workers were present to receive fish, sort and weigh. Fish are transferred from baskets ashore, then brought to a nearby gathering area to be delivered to traders.
The work here takes place continuously in the morning. Unloaders, sorters, weighers, all coordinate to quickly handle the amount of fish just arriving at the shore. Seasonal workers participating in catching fish have an income of about 200–250 thousand VND per session.
In this season, the work is almost non-stop. Every morning working continuously, quite hard but earning about 200 - 250 thousand VND, so everyone tries hard," Ms. Hoang Thi Diu (Nam Trach commune) shared.
After being washed clean of sand, the fish is ice-cured right on the spot to maintain freshness, and then transferred to trucks. According to traders, mackerel after purchase will be transported for consumption during the day in many localities in the North Central region.
When the ship enters, we organize to load the fish immediately. Some people wash the fish, some ice, some put it on the truck. The fish is transported to many places such as Ha Tinh, Nghe An... for consumption during the day," said Mr. Nguyen Viet Tien, a local trader.
Nam Trach Commune People's Committee said that the locality currently has nearly 300 near-shore fishing vessels. Peaceful sea days help fishing activities to be favorable, output increases, leading to more bustling purchasing and transportation activities.
After completing the sale of fish, many ships continue to prepare for the next offshore trip, maintaining a continuous fishing cycle during the season.
