A seafood market along the Tam Tien coast in central Quang Nam Province has provided scores of locals a means of subsistence for the past 15 years. 

Hundreds of fishing boats gather along the Tam Tien coast, carrying fish and shrimp to shore at dawn.

Local fishermen say more than 15 years ago, Tam Tien was a mere docking station for boats. Later, as the number of fishing vessels increased, a bustling seafood market opened. 

Tam Tien seafood market in Nui Thanh District lies right on the beach.

Fishermen head out to sea at around 3-4 p.m., and return about 12 hours later. The seafood market is open from 4-7 a.m.

At 4 a.m. when it is still dark, the market starts to get bustling.

The market is the main seafood distribution point for much of the province. It is open during the monsoon season only, between April and September.

Locals both young and old make a living trading fish.

Barrels of anchovies are sold to traders or collected for drying. Fishermen say they often net 1-2 tons of anchovies and Decapterus.

Visitors can also find other seafood here such as shrimp, squid and crab.

                                                                                               Photos by Tran Minh Tri