While the nation enjoys Tet, on February 12 (3rd day of the 2013 Lunar New Year) more than 1,200 fishing vessels from Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district of southern Ca Mau province headed out to sea, with hope for a successful first catch of the year.
Tran Van Vinh, owner of three vessels in the town, said that from his experience, his catch in the month before and after Tet is twice the size than any other period in the year.
And is why after the Ong Cong – Ong Tao (Land Genie and Kitchen Gods) ceremony on the 23 rd of the last month of the lunar year, which falls on February 3 this year, more than 1,000 vessels from Song Doc town welcomed Tet at sea.
Luu Minh Nhat, Chairman of Tran Van Thoi district People’s Committee, affirmed that Song Doc is the economic centre of the district and holds an important economic position in Ca Mau province.
Therefore, the local authority will prioritise the development of offshore fishing and reorganise the activities of fishermen to increase catch sizes and improve security and order at sea.
Song Doc has the largest fleet of fishing vessels and fishermen number when compares with other localities in the country, with around 3,000 boats and nearly 25,000 fishermen.
Offshore fishing will help improve the lives of fishermen in Song Doc and help Ca Mau province’s fishery sector land 350,000 tons of fish in 2013, worth US$1 billion.