Proper understanding of capture fisheries status in the lagoon is the first step towards its resource management planning.

The IMOLA undertook the fishing capacity survey in 2006-2007 to understand the current status of fishing activities in the Tam Giang-Cau Hai Lagoon by developing an overall inventory of fishing methods, number of fishing gears, number of fishing boats, estimated fishing efforts and catches, and number of sampan (boat-dweller) families involved in fisheries activities.

The survey covered all 31 communes and towns with capture fisheries activities in the lagoon area, involving both government fishery staffs and a national consultant.

The survey identified 3486 households that were practicing the capture fisheries in the lagoon with 6069 fishing gears and 4098 boats. The communes with high number (>300) of capture fisheries households were Vinh Hien, Quang Loi, Quang Thai, Thuan An town, and Hai Duong.

Nineteen major capture fisheries activities were observed in the lagoon, excluding the so-called "electric fishing" that is prohibited in the province. Five most commonly deployed fishing gears were stake traps/fish corrals (no sao), three-layer trawl net (re 3 lop), bottom net (day), small trawl net (re nho), and crab trawl net (re cua).

For more detail, please refer to the Survey/Inventory of Fisheries and Aquaculture Activities in the TGCH Lagoon (pdf) and Survey/Inventory of Fisheries and Aquaculture Activities in the TGCH Lagoon (pdf).