Bustling "sea fortune" at the beginning of the year
On the 5th and 6th days of Binh Ngo Tet 2026, at Tho Quang Fishing Port and Ky Ha Fishing Port (Da Nang), the atmosphere was bustling from early morning. Rows of offshore fishing boats lined up to dock after a sea trip throughout Tet. The national flag on the roof of the cabin was bright red in the new sun, the ship's hold was full of tuna, mackerel, mackerel...
The sound of ship engines echoing, the sound of people calling each other, the sound of pulling stone, weighing fish, bargaining mixed with the salty smell of the sea create a characteristic "harmonic" of the first sea opening day of the year. Under the wharf, traders are waiting, refrigerated trucks are lined up. Seafood just transferred from the ship's hold has been sorted, weighed and shipped for consumption in the morning.
After nearly 20 days of sticking to the Hoang Sa fishing grounds, boat QNa 91174 TS of Mr. Tran Thanh Sang (Nui Thanh commune) docked at Ky Ha port with 17 tons of type 1 and type 2 seafood. The boat departed from the port on December 15th of the lunar calendar, 14 crew members welcomed New Year's Eve in the open sea.
Selling for more than 800 million VND. After deducting oil, ice, and essential goods costs, the ship owner made a profit of about 350 million VND, each crew member was divided more than 20 million VND. At the beginning of the year, it was too lucky," Mr. Sang excitedly said.
In Tho Quang, many tuna fishing boats also won big. Fisherman Tran Dinh Thao, crew member of boat QNa 91928, said that this sea trip achieved higher output than expected. Fish prices at the beginning of the year nearly doubled compared to before Tet, tuna is currently sold at about 100,000 VND/kg, mackerel is 130,000 VND/kg.
After deducting expenses, the brothers are divided more than 30 million VND/person. This is truly the fortune of the sea. Opening business so conveniently, everyone has more motivation to stick to the sea for many days," Mr. Thao said.
Not only fishermen, many small traders are also excited. A seafood wholesaler in Ky Ha said that abundant supply right at the beginning of the year helps the market become bustling and prices stabilize. "The fish is beautiful, fresh, and easy to sell. Tet but the fishing port is so crowded, it is a good sign for the whole year," she shared.
Sticking to the sea is not just for livelihood
Amidst the busy flow of people at the wharf are the tight hugs of fishermen's families after many days of separation.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, wife of a tuna fishing boat crew member, quietly waited from early morning. Seeing her husband stepping off the pier safely, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Tet is home empty of men, I just hope the boat returns safely. I prepared enough rice, meat, banh chung, jam, and a little agarwood to offer to the sea on New Year's Eve. Hearing that the sea is calm and there is a lot of fish, I am very happy. Now I have also made a big profit, considering it as good luck at the beginning of the year," Ms. Huong smiled.
According to her, for many years, celebrating Tet at sea has become a habit. Hasty calls amidst storms instead of a reunion meal. "Sometimes I can catch the signal right at New Year's Eve, hear each other's voices on the phone and feel tearful. But I understand that men go to sea not only for a living, but also to preserve their profession, preserve the sea," Ms. Huong added.
According to representatives of Tam Quang Fisheries Union (Nui Thanh commune, Da Nang), Da Nang city currently has about 252 solidarity groups and teams producing at sea with 1,720 member fishing vessels, of which 1,091 vessels are 15m long or more. Many vessels are invested in horizontal detectors, journey monitoring equipment, modern communication systems, improving exploitation efficiency and ensuring safety.
Solidarity groups and teams help fishermen regularly contact and support each other when encountering incidents. Many cases of friendly ships breaking down, encountering bad weather have been promptly rescued in the open sea.
In the traditional fishing grounds of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, during Tet, there are still hundreds of Vietnamese fishing boats operating in all professions: purse seine, drift net, squid fishing, tuna fishing... These boats not only carry hope of livelihood but also affirm the persistent presence of Vietnamese fishermen at sea.
Going to sea on Tet holiday is more hard, more homesick. But the sea gives us fish, gives us income. Sticking to the sea is also contributing to preserving the traditional fishing grounds of our ancestors," Mr. Thao shared.
The sea trip throughout Tet closes with ship compartments full of fish and shrimp and radiant smiles at the port. "Sea Fortune" at the beginning of the year not only brings tens of millions of VND for each worker, but also ignites faith in a new sea season with smooth sailing.
