Fishing at sea is the livelihood and source of income for fishermen in many coastal provinces and cities, including fishermen in coastal districts, towns and cities of Thanh Hoa province. Every year, they go offshore in two main fishing seasons, including the Northern fishing season and the Southern fishing season, alternating in succession according to the changes of nature and the migration habits of each fish species. This division not only helps to exploit more effectively, but also contributes to protecting aquatic resources and preserving the richness of the sea.

Fishermen in Hoang Truong commune (Hoang Hoa) are excited to reap a bumper harvest of "sea bounty" after fishing trips to the North.

According to fishermen in coastal areas, the Northern fishing season lasts from October of the previous year to March of the following year. Due to the influence of the Northeast monsoon, the sea temperature decreases, so fishermen going out to sea this season mainly exploit seafood species, such as mackerel, sardines, herring, squid, and shrimp in the area from Quang Binh to the North. Meanwhile, the Southern fishing season takes place from April to September, when the weather is more stable, creating favorable conditions for many seafood species, such as ocean tuna, anchovies, pomfret, cuttlefish, and lobster to thrive in the sea area from Quang Binh to the South.

Arriving at Hoang Truong Fishing Port (Hoang Hoa) on a morning in late March, when the Northeast monsoon gradually weakened, giving way to the gentle spring sunshine creeping over the sea, the atmosphere was more bustling and crowded than ever. Ships returned one after another after a hard trip at sea, their holds full of shrimp and fish, bringing with them the joy of fishermen who had just conquered the ocean, signaling a bumper fishing season. After 10 days at sea 100 nautical miles from shore, the ship with registration number TH-91125 of fisherman Le Van Thanh, Thanh Xuan village, Hoang Truong commune, just reached shore, carrying 4 tons of anchovies and many other types of seafood. It is estimated that this trip earned nearly 200 million VND, ensuring income for 11 crew members on board, each earning an average of 14 million VND. Unable to hide his excitement, Mr. Le Van Tuan - a crew member on the ship shared: "This year's Northern fishing season, although the weather is sometimes unfavorable and the sea water is murky, if we know how to choose the fish flow and adjust the appropriate fishing method, we can still achieve a good yield. The important thing is not to be discouraged, always be ready to respond to the weather to find large fish flows. We just hope for favorable weather to have more bumper fishing seasons, making life less difficult."

Many types of fish are transported from ships to the mainland for traders to select and purchase at Hoang Truong Fishing Port (Hoang Hoa).

In other coastal localities of Thanh Hoa province, such as Nga Son, Hau Loc, Hoang Hoa, Quang Xuong, Nghi Son town and Sam Son city, fishermen are also excited and happy because of the bumper harvest of Northern fish.

In late March, along Lach Bang Fishing Port, Hai Binh Ward (Nghi Son Town), boats with full holds of shrimp and fish arrived one after another after days of fishing at sea. Here, there were bustling calls to each other, the sound of ship engines rumbling, the atmosphere of purchasing and transporting shrimp and fish was bustling. Hai Binh Ward currently has 176 seafood exploitation vessels. Of which, about 50 vessels provide purchasing services at sea, the rest are fishing vessels. The number of workers directly going to sea fluctuates from 900 to 1,100 people. During the past season, many boats were busy entering and leaving the port, transporting full batches of fish, bringing in significant income for fishermen. Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of Hai Binh Ward People's Committee, said: "In this year's Northern fish season, the total output of boats in Hai Binh was more than 900 tons and brought in about 5 billion VND for fishermen".

Although it is the end of the season, fishermen still take advantage of the calm sea days to go out to sea, looking for the last batch of fish before entering the resting period, repairing boats and preparing for the Southern fishing season. Boats full of fish continuously dock, the atmosphere at the port is still bustling with traders buying, fishermen busy removing nets, and classifying seafood. Overall, although the weather is sometimes unfavorable, thanks to experience and perseverance, fishermen still have a relatively favorable fishing season. Hopefully, the upcoming Southern fishing season will continue to bring bumper fishing trips, helping fishermen's lives become more and more prosperous.

I met fisherman Le Van Nho on his fishing boat TH-97077, which had just returned to Lach Bang Fishing Port after the last trip of the season. Through our conversation, I learned that each trip, his boat goes about 14 days, weaving through resource-rich fishing grounds to find large fish stocks. This year's Northern fishing season, the weather is quite favorable, with few storms and winds, making fishing easier. "Thanks to God's grace, we fishermen catch many large fish stocks, bringing in high income. Each trip, we catch about 40 tons of seafood, mainly anchovies, shrimp, and squid," Mr. Nho happily said.

As soon as the ship docked, traders were waiting to buy the freshest batches of fish. Anchovies were purchased at the port for 12,000 VND/kg, then transported to the city and many provinces and cities in the country for consumption. Some seafood processing facility owners were also waiting at the port, buying the freshest anchovies. In addition, high-value seafood such as shrimp and squid were brought to wholesale markets or exported.

Traders were waiting at the port to buy the freshest batches of fish, shrimp, and squid.

Not only bringing economic value, the Northern fishing season also adds confidence and motivation to fishermen. "After each trip, each boat can earn up to hundreds of millions of dong, and crew members can also receive a stable income to ensure their family's life. "We consider this a good sign, signaling a year of bumper fishing, giving fishermen more motivation to go further offshore. When the Northern fishing season ends, fishermen are busy maintaining their boats, preparing nets and gear, waiting for the upcoming Southern fishing season with many new expectations," Mr. Nho added.

The province currently has 6,635 fishing vessels at sea. In the Northern fishing season, the province exploited 69,809 tons, of which 67,443 tons were exploited and 2,366 tons were exploited inland. In 2025, the province strives to exploit 143,600 tons of seafood, with a production value of VND 4,218 billion. To achieve that goal, the Department of Fisheries continues to guide and effectively implement the central and provincial fisheries development policies and reorganize the structure of seafaring occupations in the direction of limiting tuna trawling and gillnetting, developing selective and environmentally friendly fishing occupations. At the same time, developing offshore fishing, associated with protecting security and sovereignty of sea and islands. In addition, continue to develop and expand cooperatives, cooperatives, co-management groups, and models of fisheries exploitation combined with eco-tourism, cuisine, entertainment, etc. to create added value. Mobilize diverse resources, especially from enterprises and socialized sources to invest in upgrading fisheries infrastructure, meeting the requirements of performing the task of controlling fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, and monitoring the volume of aquatic products loaded and unloaded through ports in accordance with regulations.

Following the sea trips is the rhythm of life of fishermen. Right now, fishermen in the coastal areas of the province are busy preparing for the Southern fishing season. Boats are thoroughly inspected and maintained, fishing gear is repaired, crew members take the opportunity to rest and update information on potential fishing grounds. Many fishermen have boldly invested in more modern equipment to improve fishing efficiency. Everyone has high hopes for the Southern fishing season - the sea season that brings abundant products such as ocean tuna, mackerel, pomfret, cuttlefish and lobster.

The job of making a living, the sea profession has become the pride of many generations of Thanh Hoa fishermen. Each trip to sea not only brings income, but is also a journey to affirm the resilience and perseverance of those who stick to the sea. And the spirit of going out to sea and sticking to the sea is always the desire of every fisherman, on every ship, carrying the hope of fruitful trips.

Lan Chinh