Hundreds of fishing boats in Thanh Hoa Province have been left unused at Lach Bang Port.

Lach Bang Port received hundreds of fishing and trading boats each day. Hai Binh Commune has 205 boats with 1,300 fishermen and traders and Hai Thanh Commune has 500 boats. Lach Bang Port plays an important role in the lives of the local people.

However, instead of the busy atmosphere, there are a large number of abandoned boats and the fish meal processing plant nearby face a shortage of inputs in recent years as Lach Bang estuary is filled up with rubbish and sand.

The boats were often stranded, causing huge loss and debts to the fishermen. Fishermen with fishing boats had to hire rescue ships multiple times. As a result, they have left their boats rotting away on the beach.

Nguyen Van Dong from Lien Thinh Village, Hai Binh Commune, said, "We have two boats and 14 employees but we all stay home now despite unpaid bank loans. We need a good captain and wait until the tide rises in order to navigate through the rocks and sand dunes to find a way to go to the sea."

Dong said if the tide didn't rise when they returned, they couldn't go to the port and forced to turn around to find somewhere else to dock. Their products are at risks of being spoiled and their boats may capsize from high waves.

In 2015, local authorities approved of the dredging project but it is slow and faces various issues. Fishermen in Hai Binh Commune had signed and sent a petition for help to the provincial authorities. 

Nguyen Van Chi, chairman of Hai Binh Commune, confirmed about the urgent situation and said they had also asked for directives many times but nothing had been done.

Lach Bang Port Abandoned boats on the beach

Dtinews