Clinging to the water for a living.

In the early days of March, under the blazing sun, the fishermen we met on the vast waters of Tri An Lake or along the Dong Nai River system were still leisurely taking a midday nap on their boats and rafts, waiting for sunset before starting their work.

The meager catch of fish by fishermen along the shores of Tri An Lake is bought up by retailers right at the small docks. Photo: Doan Phu

Fisherman Hai Huynh (in Ben Nom 2 hamlet, Thong Nhat commune, Dong Nai province) expressed: "As long as there are natural shrimp and fish in the rivers, there will be people to fish. Even though the fishing process currently faces many difficulties, consumes a lot of time and money, fishermen still persevere in clinging to this stretch of river, with their nets, to make a living."

The waters are calm in March.

In early March, the surface of Tri An Lake (Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve) is clear and calm. Therefore, fishermen on Tri An Lake steer their motorboats slowly to their familiar fishing grounds. Fisherman Ba ​​Khuong (in Suoi Tuong hamlet, Tri An commune) said: March usually has few storms, so the lake surface only has gentle ripples. The timing for fishing is still based on the crescent moon periods from the 1st to the 12th and from the 18th to the 28th of the lunar month, not on the low tide as is the custom of fishermen fishing on rivers and streams in the Dong Nai and Saigon river systems.

Meanwhile, fisherman Mười Phước (from Trung Tâm hamlet, Cây Gáo commune) was using his oar to steer his boat into a patch of cat's eye grass (a common weed in the semi-submerged areas of Trị An Lake), planting a bamboo pole as a support to hook the nets and casting a four-section net (a type of net with 5-10cm mesh size, each section 30-50m long, specifically for catching fish such as tilapia, snakehead, catfish, carp, and catfish...). Then he chose a shallow, breezy spot to rest and wait for the time to remove the fish.

After the first net haul, Mr. Mười Phước only caught less than 2kg of various types of fish, but he didn't lose heart. He huddled on the boat, waiting for the second and third net hauls to be completed. By dawn, he would gather the nets, row the boat back home to sell the fish. Mr. Mười Phước confided: "March..."
The water in Tri An Lake is clear and blue, with many places where you can see the bottom and fish swimming around. Therefore, during the March flood season, fish and shrimp are very wary of nets, and fishermen need experience to catch schools of fish or valuable species such as snakehead, catfish, and other valuable fish.

At a section of the Cai River (Tan Mai floating village, Tran Bien ward), Mr. Bay Canh (from Tam Hoa neighborhood, Tran Bien ward) waits for the tide to begin receding before casting his net diagonally across a stretch of river with little traffic, ensuring that even if he doesn't catch any fish, he can still preserve his net. According to Mr. Bay Canh, the river is busy with many boats and barges, making nets easily swept away, torn, or damaged. A few days ago, after casting his net and before he could finish his cigarette, a motorboat coming ashore from the floating village got caught in the propeller. He lost his net, worth 1.2 million VND, after only a few attempts yielding less than 3kg of miscellaneous fish.

Sticking to the profession isn't just about making a living.

In March, fishing for shrimp and fish is more difficult than in months with northerly winds, southerly winds, and storms. Fishermen in the Tri An reservoir and along the branches of the Dong Nai River system always hope for a comfortable life, decent houses on land, and good education for their children… so even though fishing is difficult this season, they still try to make a living by catching shrimp and fish.

Fisherman Tu Dang (43 years old, residing in Hamlet 4, Thanh Son Commune) said: "Natural shrimp and fish in ponds, lakes, and rivers are becoming increasingly scarce and difficult to catch compared to 10 or 15 years ago." He recalled that at the age of 17, he first ventured alone into the upper reaches of the Dong Nai River in Nam Cat Tien Commune to cast his nets. Amidst the quiet fields and forests at night, he steered his small motorboat, surrounding schools of fish swimming upstream, their white nets shimmering in the light, filling him with such joy he couldn't sleep.

The scarcity and difficulty in catching natural fish and shrimp are due to many reasons, such as: fishing with prohibited tools, overfishing; pollution of breeding and growing environments, and the impact of construction projects. However, fishermen remain confident that as long as there is water, there will be fish and shrimp, and people will stick with their profession.

Fisherman BAY DU (in Hamlet 6, Thanh Son Commune)

Even though Mr. Tu Dang's fishing work is now uncertain, with some days being successful and some days not, and fuel losses are common, he still sticks with the profession. Mr. Tu Dang confided that if this motorboat breaks down, he will immediately buy a new one to continue fishing because he is used to the work of fishing and doesn't know how to make a living otherwise.

To explain why he refuses to give up his life on the river, even though his family owns a few acres of land, his children are grown up and regularly support their parents, fisherman Tam Ho (in Hamlet 5, La Nga Commune) said: "It's more satisfying to work with your hands to earn a living. Having been involved in this profession for almost a lifetime, it's hard to quit, not only for survival but also because I love the river."

Having been closely connected to rivers, lakes, and ponds through fishing, netting, and angling from childhood to adulthood, and now in middle age, fisherman Tam Ho and many other fishermen still enjoy floating on boats and canoes on lakes and river branches, searching for shrimp and fish.

Doan Phu

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202603/bam-con-nuoc-muu-sinh-64c048e/