Cua Khau Creek is silted up, fishermen "suffer double losses"

Along the more than 2km stretch through Hai Ninh ward, many sand dunes have recently emerged. This shows that the level of sedimentation in the channel at Cua Khau is quite complicated, leading to dozens of fishing boats of Hai Ninh ward being unable to return. In particular, when the tide is low, all activities of boats are almost completely paralyzed.

The water level in the main channel is less than 1 meter, making it difficult for boats to enter and dock. Many fishing boats cannot return to dock after entering Cua Khau channel and must anchor more than 1 km away and use small boats to transport seafood to shore, which is both time-consuming and costly.

Fisherman Le Hong Nhat (Tam Hai TDP, Hai Ninh Ward) shared: "After finishing fishing, the fishing boats return to shore to sell, but the channel is dry. If we want to go back, we have to give up. Calling a small boat to bring the fish to shore to sell costs millions more, and the price of seafood drops due to the wait, making the fish no longer fresh and delicious. Fishermen are at a double loss."

The boat ran aground due to siltation in the creek.

Previously, Cua Khau inlet had two main channels, each more than 100m wide and 3.5 - 4m deep, allowing 4 to 5 large-capacity boats to dock conveniently and safely at the same time. Currently, channel 1 is basically completely silted up by sand, and channel 2 is no better. Many boats cannot enter the inlet and have to anchor 2 - 3km from shore. When the tide peaks, if they can enter the wharf, they will run aground when they leave, continuing to wait for each tide, missing their trip to sea. Especially during the rainy and stormy seasons, it is very dangerous for boats to take shelter because they run aground and cannot reach shore, and can easily be sunk by the waves.

Fisherman Tran Dinh Tung (Tam Hai TDP, Hai Ninh Ward) said: "Stranding leading to broken propellers, damaged rudders, hulls... happens frequently. During storms, it is very dangerous, many boats when taking shelter get stranded right at the mouth of the creek, unable to pass, there have been times when the boats were sunk by the waves."

The Border Guard forces encouraged fishermen to make efforts to overcome difficulties and go offshore.

The consequences of the siltation of Cua Khau canal not only make it unsafe for offshore trips but also cause fishing activities in the southern region of Ha Tinh to stagnate. Even in this year's southern fishing season, dozens of fishing boats still have to stay ashore for long periods of time. Partly because of the scarcity of seafood in the fishing grounds, partly because of the difficulty caused by the shallow canal, it has a great impact on the psychology of fishermen.

Mr. Vu Hoang Xuan Hung - Deputy Head of the Economic - Infrastructure and Urban Department of Hai Ninh Ward said: "Recently, fishermen's boats have been stuck on the shore for a long time due to siltation at the estuary and unstable fishing grounds. The local government regularly encourages people to take advantage of favorable times to go out to sea, stay at sea, and work in production. It is known that in the near future, there will be a policy to build a fishing port here. We hope that relevant sectors will invest in a systematic construction, especially the dredging of Cua Khau canal to create favorable conditions for fishermen to confidently exploit seafood."

Cua Khau Canal used to be the lifeline of the southern Ha Tinh fishing industry. The sedimentation not only caused economic losses but also directly threatened the lives and property of fishermen. Dredging and clearing Cua Khau Canal is an urgent solution to help fishermen continue to go offshore and stick to the sea.