Xuân Yên fishfarmers earn millions dong from swimming crab

Xuân Yên fishfarmers in Nghi Xuân of Hà Tĩnh province have had an abundant harvest from swimming crab this week. Swimming crabs at the end of the season goes for good price, making fishfarmers be very happy.

Xuân Yên coastal area is busy with boats filled up with swimming crabs at seven in every morning. Fishermen are eager to remove swimming crabs out of fishing nets together with their families. Farmer HồVănThanh (Yên Hải village) says happily: “We go to the sea at 3 AM. We don’t have to go too far, just some kilometers away from the beach and return after 4 – 5 hours when swimming crabs are still fresh and sold at high price. I caught 7 kilograms today and earned 1.2 million dong”. Meanwhile, farmer Nguyễn Xuân Hệ said that he earned 2 million dong from 10 kilogram of swimming crabs, besides he caught some other species like cuttlefish, fishes and mantis shrimps.

Right after boats arrive, swimming crabs are carefully removed from fishing nets and classified. Big ones are tied, otherwise their nippers will get broken. Swimming crabs (4-5 pcs/kg) are sold at 300 thousand dong/kg while smaller ones at 200 – 220 thousand dong/kg. Fishermen do not have to worry about selling swimming crabs as traders are always waiting on the beach for their arrival. All swimming crabs are sold out, fishermen are paid in cash and eager to prepare for fishing on the next day.

“Swimming crabs in this season are favorite food to customers as they are fresh and firm. We go to the beach very early in the morning to buy the best ones regardless of high price provided that our customers are happy with their shopping”, says Nguyễn Hoài Nam, a store owner in Nghi Xuân town

Chairman of Xuân Yên commune people’s committee Trương Văn Khoa says “Xuân Yên farmers have had an abundant harvest this season from swimming crabs, they are eager to go fishing. The commune has 238 boats, 160 of which go to the sea for catching swimming crabs with 6 kg each daily average. Total six tons of swimming crabs have been caught for the last ten days. Besides, boats from Yên Xuân exploited tons of squils and fishes, making fishermen raise their income”.