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Abstract
The study employed a randomized survey of vessel owners and captains operating purse seine fishing vessels in the offshore waters of the Southeastern region of Vietnam in 2024 to evaluate the operational performance of the fleet. Data were collected on vessel characteristics, onboard equipment, fishing grounds, target species, productivity, and economic efficiency from 90 purse seine vessels in Lam Dong, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dong Thap provinces. Results indicated that the offshore purse seine fleet primarily consisted of wooden-hulled vessels, with an average length ranging from 21.6 to 25.8 meters and main engine power between 447 and 928 HP. The vessels were generally well equipped with navigational and fishing devices, adequately meeting the requirements of offshore operations. The fleet operated year-round, averaging approximately 250 fishing days per year, with an annual catch of 219÷255 tons per vessel and an average profit of 1.18÷1.20 billion VND per vessel per year. The main target species were pelagic fish, with mackerel accounting for the largest proportion. A multiple regression analysis identified several factors significantly influencing profitability, including investment in fishing equipment, gear size, crew size, investment in navigational devices, engine power, and the number of fishing days. Among these, key factors requiring enhanced investment to improve operational efficiency included fishing equipment, engine power, and fishing effort (number of fishing days). Conversely, factors such as gear size, crew size, and investment in navigational devices should be reconsidered to optimize costs and increase profitability.
Keywords: offshore purse seine fleet, fishing productivity, economic performance, fishing gear, fishing equipment.