LED lights are needed to improve exploitation quality of fishing vessels in Nghe An

Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Canada, amongst others, have utilized LED lighting systems to improve fishing quality and increase economic value. In Vietnam, LED lighting systems are typically used on vessels for seine net or gillnetting.

In Nghe An, where there are as many as 590 fishing vessels engaged in bottom trawling, which accounts for 21.4% of the country, a number of fleets utilize high-pressure light while a few keep up with the trend of employing an advanced LED light system in maritime exploitation.

The Research Institute for Marine Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) organized a training course on "Application of LED lights for gillnetting fishery offshore Nghe An province" with the participation of more than 100 fishermen in Quynh Nghia commune, Quynh Luu district, in October 2022.

Following one year of led lighting installation on the fishing vessel No. NA-90025-TS for gillnetting of Truong Dac Giap in Quinh Nghia commune, Quynh Luu district, the Institute reported the results. The statistics showed that  200 led bulbs produced by 111 Vietnam Company, each with a capacity of 500W, 57,500 lumens luminous flux, 4,500K color temperature, dimensions of 390 x 225 x 170mm, and a weight of 4.1kg are installed on Giap's ship. The overall volume of the frame system and led lights accounts for 2.91 percent of the ship's carrying capacity and 1.04 percent of its water displacement.

Compared to high-pressure lighting, the LED system's width and depth of illumination rose by 20%, resulting in a 36% reduction in luminous fuel expenditures, or about 1,800 liters of oil each voyage. The aforementioned distinguishing element is crucial, especially in light of the skyrocketing cost of raw materials.

Experts predicted that if all of Nghe An's offshore vessels engaged in gillnet fishing used LED lights, the province would save over 9 million liters of oil annually, which is equivalent to over VND 200 billion. On the other hand, the use of LED lighting indirectly decreases oil consumption, lowering emissions, and providing a significant contribution to environmental conservation, while simultaneously having a lesser impact on the health of crew members.

The high installation cost of Led lighting, which is approximately VND 184 million more than the high-pressure lighting system, is one of the largest obstacles. This is a significant obstacle for ship owners, especially given the number of challenges confronting the fishing industry.

Mr. Tran Xuan Hoc, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, proposed that the project team analyze and examine how many bulbs a ship needs to install, as well as the strategy to decrease the altitude of lights in the case of a disaster, to ensure safety. In addition, it is suggested that fishermen invest in a non-sequential manner in order to alleviate pressure and limit hazards.

Nearly 1,200 boats and ships with an average capacity of 260 CV are located in the Quynh Luu area. Due to steady investments in modern equipment, the installation of maritime equipment, and the application of scientific and technological breakthroughs in fishing, the entire district's yearly fishing production has surpassed and exceeded the target, with a total value between VND 1,350 and 1,500 billion.

Lightening technologies significantly contribute to advancement. Quynh Luu has courageously invested in the installation of 50-100 LED lamps on 30 ships, mostly in Tien Thuy and Quynh Nghia communes, over the past three years. Although the initial investment cost is high, the usage of this type of light bulb has resulted in several benefits, such as lower fuel costs, fewer adverse effects of light on worker health, etc. Longer lamp life and increased brightness should aid fishermen in achieving high levels of productivity.

One of the most important fishing professions in Nghe An is fishing with fishing nets and light. The technique of using light to attract aquatic creatures in order to increase fishing efficiency has been shown. However, excessive lighting causes several drawbacks.