The upgrade is also expected to address environmental pollution problems in the area.

According to Vo Thanh, deputy head of the Environment Protection Unit at the Danang Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Tho Quang Port faced serious pollution since 2010. After a decade of various measures, the problems have now improved.

“However, there remains some more to be done to completely curb the pollution problem in the area as 70 percent of boats come from other localities and it is difficult to tell them to take rubbish ashore when there isn’t specific regulations on the issue," Thanh said. "We'll have to do the dredging work at the port first and then the upgrading work."

Thanh shared that they will turn Tho Quang Port into a key fishing port in the region in terms of logistics and loading capacity. 

"The 58ha port, the biggest fishing dock in the central region was put into operation 13 years ago," he said. "Its logistics and loading capacity is currently unable to meet the increasing demand as a key regional fishing port."

The upgrade project will help build a new pier to host more fishing boats and a waste treatment plant, as well as a trade centre to serve 3,000 fishermen and traders.

Danang, which has 15,000sq.km of fishing grounds, has a fleet of 2,300 fishing boats, of which 699 are deep-sea trawlers.