At 9 am, the fishing boat of Mr. Nguyen Nong (59 years old, residing in Trieu Lang commune, Trieu Phong, Quang Tri) landed and brought back 1.5 quintals of jellyfish.
Every day, Mr. Nong goes out to sea from 5 am with a partner, fishing about 2-5 nautical miles from shore.
Jellyfish are floating, floating along the water, so fishermen also call them “sponges”. Looking at the ocean currents, Mr. Nong guessed where there are jellyfish. The days when the weather is nice, the waves are calm, the sea is calm is the time to catch more jellyfish.
“I only go out to sea once a day. With 1.5 quintals of jellyfish, my income is about one to 1.5 million dongs,” said Mr. Nong. In addition to jellyfish, he also catches fish, squid, and shrimp.
Jellyfish and seafood caught ashore are bought by traders right at the coast, with prices ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 per kg. Jellyfish heads and feet have a higher selling price because they are tastier.
Usually, jellyfish appear in mid-February and last until early April every year. The fishermen usually set sail at dawn and arrive after 2-3 hours. Each boat can go out to sea up to three times per day.
After purchasing, the jellyfish are redistributed by traders to markets, restaurants and seafood processing factories.
Mr. Dang Quang Hai, Chairman of Trieu Lang Commune People’s Committee, said that since mid-February, local boats and boats have continuously hit the jellyfish season. In the first two months of the year, Trieu Lang commune caught 75 tons of seafood, 35 tons of jellyfish alone.