VietNamNet Bridge – Thousands of fishermen in central Vietnam were hit big when the oil price increased by VND3,500 per liter on February 24. As the cost rose by 30 percent, fishermen’s profit will fall. Many of them cannot even go out to sea.

Tran Anh, a fisherman from Tam Quang Commune, Nui Thanh District in Quang Nam province, said: “Some big ships went out to the sea before Tet holiday when the oil price didn’t increase got big profit so they are not heavily affected. Our small ships cannot leave the shore now because we may incur losses due to the rise of fuel prices”.

Nguyen Tin, Chair of Tam Quang Commune People’s Committee, said that his commune has around 400 boats but only 100 of them have left the shore, the remaining 300 boats are still at home. One of the reasons is the high price of fuel.

Vu, the captain of a fishing boat in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh province, estimated that he would have to pay an additional VND10 million ($500) for fuel for a 10-day trip. “We will surely incur losses because the prices for ice (to freeze fish) and food are all rising but the seafood output will not increase,” he analyzed.

Vu said that the increase of oil price in the tuna catching season has directly hit the income of Binh Dinh’s fishermen.

Many offshore fishing boats in Binh Dinh are now at home calculating costs and seeking ways to save fuel for their trips. “The prices for seafood cannot catch up with prices for oil so we have to change catching methods. If we sail around to look for fishing grounds, fuel consumption will be large,” said captain Nguyen Van Xo from Quy Nhon city.

The increase in oil prices also make fishermen in Binh Chau commune in Binh Son district in Quang Ngai province worried because the commune has a big fleet, with 130 offshore fishing boats which often work in the sea of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Archipelagoes.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, Vice Chair of Binh Chau commune, said: “The increase of fuel prices will hit our fishermen because many ships will have to stay home”.

Hung analyzed that the increase in fuel prices will make input cost for a journey rise by at least VND30 million ($1500). If ships catch a lot of fish, each fisherman will receive around VND10 million ($500), but now their earning will be only VND7 million ($350).

Senior fishermen in Binh Chau fishing village calculated that a fishing boat consumes 6,000 liters of diesel oil a month if it works in the sea of Truong Sa (Spratly Islands) and 4,000 liters if it works in the sea of Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands). The increase in oil prices to VND3500/liter means fishing boats will have to pay an additional VND14 to VND22 million ($700-1100) per trip.

The increase of fuel price also bring about other problems. It is very difficult for ship owners to recruit sailors. Truong Tay, who runs a fishing boat in Binh Chau commune, said he had to go to Khanh Hoa province to recruit workers.

“In the past, fishermen were very eager to go out to the sea but now the input costs are so high, their income is modest so they don’t want to leave the shore. If we cannot recruit enough sailors, we cannot go out to sea,” Tay complained.

In this circumstance, central provinces will ask the state subsidize fuel for fishermen.

Tran Ngoc Nguyen, Chairman of Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai province, said his island has 408 boats, including 110 that work in the sea of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.  All boats are experiencing difficulties.

“Sea economy is our district’s advantage. We will ask the provincial and central governments to assist our fishermen,” Nguyen said.

PV