In early May, dozens of squid fishing vessels from Binh Son Commune in Quang Ngai Province returned to shore carrying tonnes of dried squid.
The boats are specially equipped with bamboo drying racks so fishermen can process and dry squid immediately after catching them at sea.
Giant squid fishing boats operated by Quang Ngai fishermen (Photo: Quoc Trieu).
After more than two months working in the waters around Truong Sa, fisherman Pham Tien brought his vessel, QNg 95579TS, and its crew of 51 back to shore.
The boat returned with 28 tonnes of dried squid. With current prices reaching VND 317,000 per kilogramme, the catch was valued at nearly VND 9 billion (approximately USD 346,000).
“Everyone on the boat had a very successful trip,” Tien said.
“Squid prices have surged, so the whole crew is extremely excited.”
On average, each fisherman aboard the vessel caught between 450 and 500 kilograms of squid, while some managed more than 600 kilogrammes.
After deducting expenses, crew members earned between VND 100 million and VND 150 million (approximately USD 3,850-5,780) from the single voyage.
Arriving back at the same time was vessel QNg 90541TS, owned by fisherman Ho Van Long from Binh Son Commune, carrying nearly 30 tonnes of squid caught in the Truong Sa fishing grounds.
Long said he had spent decades in the squid fishing trade but had never experienced such profitable conditions.
Fishermen unload squid from the boat for sale to traders (Photo: Quoc Trieu).
Squid catches have been unusually high this year while prices have risen sharply, shortening voyages that would normally last close to three months.
“Prices are very high now, so we hurry back to sell the squid before heading out to sea again,” Long said.
“Each crew member earned more than VND 100 million from this trip.”
Although squid fishing can generate high incomes, it is also regarded as one of the most dangerous and physically demanding fishing jobs in Vietnam.
Once vessels reach the fishing grounds, fishermen lower themselves into the sea in small round basket boats. Each fisherman then spends the entire night alone catching squid before the main vessel returns at dawn to collect them.
The squid are cleaned and dried immediately onboard, with the exhausting work repeated day after day throughout the voyage.
Because of the harsh conditions, fishermen from Quang Ngai Province and Danang are now among the few remaining communities continuing the trade.
Nguyen Tien Phao, deputy head of the Binh Son Commune Economic Department, said the commune has around 400 fishing vessels, including 160 specialising in squid fishing.
He said boats returning from the Truong Sa fishing grounds this season had each brought back between 25 and 30 tonnes of dried squid.
Since late 2025, prices for giant squid have climbed steadily to between VND 315,000 and VND 317,000 per kilogramme, the highest level ever recorded.
“High catches and rising prices are providing fishermen with strong incomes and greater confidence to continue working at sea,” Phao said.
“This helps both economic development and the protection of Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty.”
The squid species, known locally as “muc xa”, typically weighs between one and four kilogrammes and has thick flesh.
Because the squid lives in highly saline waters, the meat has a naturally salty and slightly bitter taste once dried. Most of the catch is exported to China for further processing into seasoned dried seafood products.