LED lighting revolutionizes fisheries

Ho Van Thu, a fisherman from Cua Viet Commune, Quang Tri Province, has nearly 30 years of experience in offshore fishing. His trawler was previously equipped with fluorescent and halogen lamps. In purse seine fishing, the fuel consumed for lighting constitutes a significant portion of the operating costs.

In 2025, the Quang Tri Provincial Agricultural Extension Center supported Mr. Thu in switching to installing and using LED lights. Mr. Thu hopes that the fuel costs for his upcoming fishing trips will decrease significantly.

"Theoretically, LED lights have many outstanding advantages: They are bright, stable, highly durable, and consume less fuel than other types of lamps," Mr. Thu stated. "If that holds true, our catch efficiency will increase, costs will drop, and profits will be higher."

Phan Van Phuong, Deputy Director of the Quang Tri Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, noted that using light to attract marine life is crucial in fishing, as it determines the fuel costs for locating fish schools and overall catch productivity. However, he added, most fishermen in Quang Tri still use high-pressure lamps with a power of 1,000W or more, which are energy-intensive, low-efficient, and have a short lifespan. He stressed that adopting LED lights to modernize the fishing fleet progressively has become an urgent necessity.

To address this reality, the Quang Binh Agricultural Extension Center (now part of Quang Tri Province) initiated a project, funded by Central Agricultural Extension programs, to develop a model for using specialized LED lights in purse seine fishing combined with light attraction in the offshore waters. The project, which will run from 2025 to 2027, will be implemented in the cities of Hue and Da Nang and Quang Tri Province, with a total implementation cost of nearly 232,000 USD (equivalent to 5.8 billion VND). The vessel owners will contribute a portion of this funding.

In 2025, the project will be implemented on four fishing vessels in Quang Tri Province. These vessels will transition to using LED lights with a power of 200W per bulb, a luminous efficacy of 120 lumens/W, a luminous flux of 39,000 lumens, and an ingress protection rating of IP66. Theoretically, using LED lighting is expected to reduce direct production costs by 20 to 30% and increase average profit by about 15% compared to traditional lights. LED lights also boast high durability and a lifespan of up to five to six years.

Mr. Phuong further explained that LED lights perform well in the harsh marine environment, enduring direct sunlight, rain, wind, and saltwater. The lights illuminate instantly and can be switched on and off continuously. This is a considerable advantage for operational maneuvers during fishing, allowing fishermen to cast nets repeatedly without delay. Moreover, if the generator suddenly fails while fish are concentrated, fishermen can instantly switch the light source, greatly increasing the chance of retaining the concentrated school.

Furthermore, because LED lights do not emit ultraviolet UV radiation, they eliminate the impact on the fishermen's eyesight and skin, unlike the high-pressure lights currently in use, thereby ensuring the safety and health of the workers.

Over the three-year period, the project will implement eight models involving 14 vessels and the installation of 700 high-quality, specialized LED lamps that meet the required technical specifications for light-attracting purse seine vessels. The initiative targets offshore fishing fleets in the cities of Hue and Da Nang and Quang Tri Province.

The push for adopting LED technology in fishing fleets is not merely a local cost-saving measure but a pivotal element of Vietnam’s national strategy to meet international standards for sustainable fisheries. These provincial projects, such as the one in Quang Tri, are directly supported by high-level government mandates. The government's top priority is the removal of the European Commission's "yellow card" warning for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Replacing high-power, fuel-intensive traditional lights with energy-efficient LED systems is a key part of the broader national effort to modernize the fleet and ensure compliance with global fishing regulations. These efforts align with Vietnam's Planning on Protection and Exploitation of Aquatic Resources (2021-2030), vision to 2050, which aims for the sustainable and responsible utilization of marine resources by supporting a transition from fuel-intensive methods to less invasive, more energy-efficient ones. The ultimate national goal is to establish Vietnam as a country with a fully sustainable fisheries sector by 2050, prioritizing the protection of aquatic resources and the use of green technology to secure the long-term livelihoods of coastal communities.

* USD 1 = VND 26,077 (Source: Vietcombank)