In the first days of the Binh Ngo year, at the fishing ports in the South Central region, the working atmosphere is still bustling.
Many fishing boats have just docked after a long sea trip and are urgently selling seafood, refueling, patching nets, and supplementing necessities to promptly open a new sea trip - a special sea trip lasting from the old year to the new year.
For fishermen, the sea is not only a livelihood but also a "second home".
Celebrating Tet in the middle of the ocean has now become a familiar thing, especially when the fish season is in, with abundant profits.
Mr. Huynh Van Tien's fishing boat (residing in Nam Nha Trang ward) has just returned from a long sea trip.
The joy of the ship owner and crew members is complete when the ship docks safely, with good exploitation output.
Right at the beginning of the year, fish prices also increased slightly. Tangerine tuna from 30,000 VND/kg has increased to about 40,000 VND/kg, helping people feel more excited.
Just finished loading and unloading the last fish of the year, Mr. Tien immediately hired more workers to mend nets and check machinery to be ready to depart for a new trip.
Going from the wharf also misses home, misses Tet, but I have to accept it because the fish season is abundant. People are taking advantage of fishing, afterwards celebrating Tet late is also done," Mr. Tien shared.
According to statistics, as of December 25th of the lunar calendar, Khanh Hoa province has had 47 fishing vessels with 295 fishermen leaving port to exploit seafood during Tet.
It is expected that in the first days of 2026, more fishing boats will open the sea and return after the Tet fishing trip.
Sticking to the sea throughout Tet means accepting to be away from family in the moment of reunion.
Mr. Tran Tuan Nen (resident of Nam Nha Trang ward) has just returned from a tuna fishing trip. Mr. Nen said that in recent years, for coastal villagers, celebrating Tet on the shore or in the sea is no longer too worrying.
The most important thing is still a safe sea trip, a big catch of fish" - Mr. Nen said.
These days, border guard forces are increasing their presence at ports and at sea, accompanying fishermen on the journey that lasts from the old year to the new year.
Propaganda and reminders to fishermen to comply with fishing regulations are carried out regularly.
Declaration when entering and leaving the wharf, keeping an exploitation logbook, maintaining journey monitoring equipment... have become mandatory requirements.
Before each sea trip, functional forces remind fishermen not to violate foreign waters, strictly implement regulations on combating illegal fishing (IUU).
For fishermen, a sea trip throughout Tet is not just a story of making a living in the short term.
They expect that along with efforts to manage strictly and comply with regulations, the seafood industry will soon remove the "yellow card" of the European Commission. When the export market is cleared and the value of seafood increases, the fishing village will truly welcome the new year in complete joy.
Mr. Le Dinh Khiem - Head of the Sub-Department of Fisheries and Islands of Khanh Hoa province - said that the whole province has 5,125 fishing vessels, showing the large scale of the fleet and the requirement for strict management.
Among them, there are 2,666 ships with a length from 6 to under 12 meters; 973 ships from 12 to under 15 meters; and 1,486 ships from 15 meters or more that are required to install journey monitoring equipment.
Notably, all 5,125 fishing vessels have registered and fully updated data on the Vnfishbase system.
The rate of issuing fishing licenses reached 100%, ending the situation of "3 no" fishing vessels operating beyond control in the area.
