About 10 days ago, Mr. Quy and 12 crew members embarked on a 450 HP vessel, fishing in the waters off Hue and Da Nang, approximately 50-60 nautical miles from shore. During the first voyage, which lasted six days, the vessel caught 6.5 tons of triggerfish.

After bringing the vessel ashore to sell the fish, Mr. Quy returned to sea, catching an additional 9.5 tons. Notably, during the second voyage, one net haul alone yielded 4 tons of fish. The total catch from both trips amounted to approximately 16 tons.

The triggerfish caught weighed 0.3-0.5 kg each. After deducting approximately 300 million VND for expenses from the two voyages, the remaining amount was shared between the boat owner and the crew according to their agreement. Each crew member received about 40 million VND.

Mr. Quy stated he has been engaged in purse seine fishing for about 10 years, and this was his most profitable voyage. Previously, his highest revenue from a single trip was 700 million VND. He has allocated 300 million VND to maintain, repair, and apply composite coating to the entire hull of his vessel to continue fishing.

According to local fishermen, the volume of triggerfish caught by Mr. Quy's vessel in such a short period is particularly rare. Large catches depend on many factors, including experience in identifying fish schools, the ability to locate fishing grounds, weather conditions, and luck.

Triggerfish, belonging to the Balistidae family, have an oval or elongated body, rough skin, pointed mouths, and colors often ranging from light gray to grayish-brown. This species comes in various sizes, with common weights from 0.3 to one kg.

Mr. Quy's fishing vessel coated with composite after the large triggerfish catch. Photo: *Hai Thanh*

Thuan An ward is a key area for seafood exploitation in Hue City. In the first nine months of the year, the locality's total seafood exploitation and aquaculture output reached an estimated 10,900 tons, achieving 103.8% of its annual plan. Of this, exploitation output was about 9,150 tons, and aquaculture reached 1,751 tons.

Hue City as a whole estimated its seafood exploitation and aquaculture at about 58,000 tons over nine months, a 3.6% increase compared to the same period last year.

Vo Thanh