Rising oil, petrol prices force fishing boats to remain in port
May 24, 2011 Leave a comment
Chu Tien Vinh, deputy director of the Directorate of Fisheries (D-Fish), spoke with Tien Phong newspaper about a plan to help fishers who cannot go out to sea because of the hight fueld prices.
What is being done to help fishers who can’t afford to take their vessels out to sea?
When the minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, heard that some fishers could not afford to go out to the sea because of high fuel prices, he instructed the D-Fish to send inspectors to different parts of the country to see what could be done to remedy the situation.
There are about 130,000 fishing boats in coastal cities and provinces across the country and 30 per cent of them have had to remain onshore because of high fuel prices. Another 40 per cent are only operating sporadically, leaving just 30 per cent going out to sea as normal.
Most of the boats that have been put out of action are vessels that normally fish offshore and export their catches. Kien Giang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces have been worst hit. The southern province of Kien Giang, for instance, has about 9,000 fishing boats, of which about 40 per cent are offshore fishing boats.
What other difficulties are fishers having to cope with in addition to high fuel prices?
Fishers are facing a lot of difficulties. Input prices of oil and petrol, electricity and ice are continuously rising while fish prices have remained pretty stable. Most fishers are still taking out loans from traders. The problem is compounded by price manipulation, especially in the north where most fish are exported through border posts in refrigerated lorries and the fish price is controlled by foreign traders. Even though consumers have to pay much more for fish, fishers themselves are incurring financial losses.
Has the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development any plan to support fishers?
Fishing boat owners are usually relatives or neighbours of the fishing crews. Most fishing boats work collectively in groups of five to seven. A common practice is for crews to go out to sea together but for only one fishing boat to return to shore with the catch to save fuel. Fishing boats also go out to sea on fewer occasions and spend longer fishing. In northern Hai Phong port city, meanwhile, many fishing households pool together to buy oil.
The D-Fish has asked ministries to formulate a plan to help fishers and submit it to the Prime Minister. Fishing boats with engines under 50 horsepower do not need help. Support will focus on fishing boats above 90 horsepower because if they are forced to stay on shore, catch sizes will be significantly affected.
