THE EXPLOITATION AND PROCESSING OF SEAFOOD IN THE MARITIME OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL COAST (VIETNAM) DURING THE 19TH CENTURY (1802 – 1885)

Abstract

Benefiting from a region blessed with an extensive coastline and diverse marine life, Vietnamese migrants settling in the South-Central region have not only diversified their economic activities beyond traditional agriculture but have also promptly tapped into the wealth of sea resources and transformed them into a variety of products. The activities of plotting and processing seafood not only provide a variety of food sources for family meals but have also become the main economic sector, bringing significant income to the fishermen there. Recognizing the importance of this economic activity, the Nguyen Dynasty also paid attention to its management through various policies. By exploring the historical documents of the Nguyen Dynasty, the article will focus on elucidating the exploitation and processing of seafood by fishermen in the South-Central region in the 19th century, as well as the policies of the dynasty regarding this activity. This is one of the pieces of evidence demonstrating the exercise of sovereignty in the economy by our ancestors under the Nguyen era, while also providing a basis for the ongoing struggle to protect our maritime sovereignty today.