Nam fish season - the season of dreams of a hundred miles of sea

Cua Viet fishing port, like a silent rendezvous between the open sea and the mainland, during the Nam fish season - a very important season for Quang Tri fishermen, there is never a pause in the sound of ship engines, the hoarse sound of walkie-talkies and the cries of fellow fishermen calling each other to add ice, fuel and food.

Those seemingly ordinary sounds are the heartbeat of a maritime economy closely tied to each wave and each moon season.

In a corner of the port, Mr. Nguyen Van Long, captain of fishing boat QT 90063TS, who has experienced dozens of fishing seasons, shared in a slow voice: "This year's Southern fishing season seems to be very good. My boat works with purse seine and squid, each long trip can catch 7-8 tons of fish, earning about 180 to 200 million VND. After deducting expenses, each crew member also shares 12-15 million VND per month."

Phan Thiet fishing port is starting to get busy even though it's only the beginning of the southern fishing season.

Mr. Long did not hide his hope, adding that July and August are the months when fish are at their most abundant. At that time, if “heaven willing”, his boat can catch large batches of tuna, batches of plump squid, seafood species that are always popular in the market. “If the fish float up steadily, our fishermen will be even happier, not only because of the money, but also because of the feeling of victory right on their own sea,” he said, his eyes looking far away to the horizon where only silver glitters.

Not far away, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung, owner of the QT 94522TS, was urgently checking the machinery and adding ice for the upcoming trip. His boat specializes in fishing for anchovies, a fish that floats in schools and is easy to catch but also easy to lose track of if you miss the right time. "There are more anchovies this year, the fishing grounds are larger, so each trip can earn over a hundred million. With the support of technology, the efficiency is much higher," Mr. Hung said, his hands still deftly opening each compartment of the boat. Each crew member on his boat receives from 12 to 15 million VND per month, a considerable amount of income in times of rising prices.

On calm sea days, Cua Viet fishing port, Bac Cua Tung fishing port... never sleep. Ships come and go busily, traders jostle to place orders from early morning. A bustling scene that only the Nam fish season can bring. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, captain of the steel-hulled ship QT 96969TS, one of the famous ship owners in Cua Viet, said that he has invested carefully in this year's Nam fish season, from fishing gear, positioning devices, fish detectors to modern preservation systems. His ship often fishes in the Hoang Sa sea area, where fish often appear in large schools. "This trip is a long one, so you have to prepare carefully to feel secure," he said while carrying ice and food onto the ship with his crew.

Bustling Southern fish season at Cua Viet fishing port, Quang Tri province.

Having just returned from the open sea, fisherman Tran Hong Linh, owner of the QT 95767TS, was busy calling to order more fuel and ice to leave the port early the next morning. His boat had just sold a batch of anchovies and mackerel, earning nearly 200 million VND. “Last year, after deducting all expenses, I still made a profit of a billion VND,” Mr. Linh said, smiling confidently, while his hands never stopped.

Mr. Le Van Son, Director of Quang Tri Fishing Port Management Board, said that on average, Cua Viet fishing port receives 10-15 ships every day. To serve effectively, the port always has a force on duty 24/7, arranging loading and unloading locations, providing supplies, and at the same time reminding fishermen to comply with regulations on combating IUU fishing, keeping logs, and reporting output through the port. “We not only provide technical support, but also promote the law so that people do not fish in the wrong areas or violate foreign waters. Doing legitimate business is long-term and sustainable,” Mr. Son affirmed.

Cua Viet, one of the localities with the largest fishing output in Quang Tri province in the past, is entering the southern fish season with great enthusiasm. According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of this province, the commune has over 860 fishing boats, of which 164 are over 15m long, specializing in offshore fishing. Each trip lasts 5-10 days, and on average each boat can bring back no less than 500 million VND. "We have directed the establishment of solidarity groups at sea, both to support each other in stormy times and to improve production capacity. Each boat is an extended arm of the locality to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa," said Mr. Vinh.

Data from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Tri province (old) shows that in the first 6 months of 2025, the total output of exploited aquatic products in the province reached nearly 32,000 tons, equivalent to 57.5% of the annual plan. An encouraging figure, especially in the context of complex weather changes and high gasoline prices. “We are promoting the application of modern technology in exploitation, from automatic steering machines, hydraulic winches, detectors, to energy-saving LED lights. At the same time, fishermen are encouraged to organize exploitation in teams to increase efficiency and reduce costs. In addition, the functional sector is also mobilizing traders and businesses to only purchase products at fishing ports in accordance with regulations, thereby ensuring traceability and preventing IUU exploitation, an important condition to maintain export markets in Europe and Japan,” Mr. Vinh added.

In Quang Tri, each Nam fish season is not simply a matter of making a living. For coastal people, it is also a season to affirm their bravery and aspiration to conquer the sea and sky. Mr. Tran Thanh Binh, a fisheries control officer at Cua Viet port, said that there are currently about 200 fishing boats of fishermen in the province operating at sea, mainly fishing in fishing grounds near Hoang Sa. The popular occupations are purse seine, gill net, squid fishing, and tuna fishing. Each occupation has its own characteristics, but the common point is that it requires proficiency, perseverance, and wave resistance. “Nam fish season is the season to make money, but it is also the season to test people's strength. There are days when the waves are level 6 or 7, but we still have to stick to the sea. Each fisherman is a soldier who does not leave his position, protecting the sea and islands with his own profession,” Mr. Binh was moved.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/mua-ca-nam-mua-cua-nhung-giac-mo-tram-dam-bien-khoi-5052772.html