A squid fishing tour lasts around five hours and each boat can serve three tours per night, starting from 5 pm to early morning. Ticket prices range from VND250,000 (USD9.82) to VND2.5 million (USD98.23) per boat. Squid fishing trips attract a lot of tourists and are often fully booked.
An unlicensed squid fishing boat in Son Tra
Boats are not numbered and owners explained that boats mainly transport passengers near the shore, so it is unnecessary to be registered. Owners also admitted that they operated illegal tours due to complicated licensing procedures.
Many squid fishing boats provide services like snorkelling and overnight camping trips to places such as Da Den, Ghenh Bang, Mui Nghe and Mui Sung.
It is easy to see advertisements on night squid fishing services in Son Tra on Facebook.
Nguyen Truong An in Thanh Khe District in Danang said that it was a memorable but highly dangerous experience. The boat lacks safety equipment. The passengers are always worried about being caught by authorities.
According to a representative from the Son Tra Peninsula’s Management Board, night squid fishing tours have not yet been licensed in Son Tra.
In April, a boat owner in Son Tra was fined VND25 million (USD982.31) for transporting eight tourists without life jackets for snorkelling and fishing activities around the peninsula.
