Floating on the river to make a living

Natural aquatic resources in the Dong Nai River branches and Tri An Lake (Dong Nai Province) are increasingly scarce, fishing is becoming more difficult than ever. The boats that used to roam the river day and night are now gradually disappearing.

The younger generation of fishermen leave the water and go ashore to find other livelihoods. The rest, the elderly or those who cannot find work onshore, still stick with the profession, continuing to drift on the water, saving each catch of fish and shrimp to survive day by day.

“1001 reasons” to stick to rivers and lakes

The little dog on the fish raft of Mr. Chin Nghia in the raft village of Long Binh Tan ward ( Dong Nai province), whether out of hospitality or habit, barks loudly whenever it sees strangers. Only when its owner shouts at it will it stop.

Fishermen fishing in La Nga raft village, Dinh Quan commune.

Mr. Nghia slowly said: “Since I took the water surface as my home, it is difficult to count the amount of fish and shrimp I catch. Every day I cast 6-7 nets, each 20-40 meters long, catching a few kilos of fish, which I can sell for about 200-400 thousand dong.” He said that the price of fish and shrimp is higher than before because of scarcity, so as long as the lake still has water, I can still make a living from this profession. He then smiled gently, his voice full of optimism, although the wrinkles on his sunburnt face became deeper after each dry season.

In the past, Long Binh Tan raft village was bustling with hundreds of large and small boats, anchored tightly at the wharf. Every early morning, the sound of engines and calls to each other mixed with the salty river scent, creating a unique rhythm of life for the craft village. Now, fish and shrimp are depleted, many households have changed jobs, making the fishing wharf quiet. Currently, there are only a dozen people still working, mainly raking mussels, a hard job but providing a more stable income than fishing.

In the fishing village of Quarter 5, Bien Hoa Ward, there are only a few dozen fishermen left. Fishing is no longer a way of life but only a hobby for old age. Mr. Hai Thung, who has devoted his whole life to the profession, confided: “The life of a fisherman is very harsh. There are days when you go all night without catching any fish, you get discouraged and think about giving up your boat. But then, every time you catch a few fish, you feel sorry for the profession and can’t bear to leave it.” To him, the water has become a confidant, the net and fishing rod are close friends. Despite the hardship, he still feels at peace in the middle of the immense river.

Having followed the flow of overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia back to their homeland in the 1990s, Mr. Lam Thach (Truong An hamlet, Cay Gao commune) chose Tri An lake - an area belonging to Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve as a place to make a living. His family's small raft is also his home, his feet are more used to touching the boat's planks than the ground.

Fish such as white-bream, snakehead fish, reed fish, elephant fish, and green-legged shrimp are now rarer than before, but are still valuable. “Now they are specialties, they sell for a good price, and each trip out to sea earns a few hundred thousand,” Mr. Thach said, his eyes still shining with confidence even though life on the water is no longer easy.

As long as there is water, there will be fish and shrimp.

Tri An Lake is more than 32,000 hectares wide, has 6 raft villages with about 600 rafts and more than 1,000 fishermen, distributed in communes such as Vinh An, Thong Nhat, Dinh Quan... Fishing here is strictly controlled, with fees, prohibited areas and periodic release of fish to regenerate resources. However, fishermen still complain that shrimp and fish are getting scarcer, more effort is spent but income is not much.

Fisherman Ut Cuong (Ben Nom raft village, Thong Nhat commune) shared: "Fish and shrimp are not as abundant as they were ten years ago, but if you work hard, you can still make a living. Those who persevere in their profession and know how to combine fishing and farming can still survive. As long as Tri An lake still has water to generate electricity, there will be fish and shrimp for us to make a living."

The long night of earning a living for fishermen has no concept of time. All night long, they keep an eye out for fish, and by morning they are exhausted, but everyone is happy when their nets are full. Mr. Ba Lanh (La Nga raft village, Dinh Quan commune) walks heavily ashore with several baskets of iced anchovies. Tonight, he "pulled" more than 30kg, sold them at 25,000 VND/kg, pocketing 750,000 VND. "The anchovy season has not yet entered its peak, so this is already a happy harvest. When the water rises and more fish come in, we can earn millions of VND each night," he said, his eyes still looking out at the sparkling lake in the early morning.

At Ben Nom floating village fish market, at 6am, boats and ships are bustling with buyers and sellers. The smell of fresh fish mixed with the morning mist, the sound of fish scales and bargaining create a simple yet vibrant rhythm of life.

Mr. Pham Kien’s small coffee shop (Thong Nhat commune) is where fishermen gather after a long night on the lake. Over a cup of strong black coffee, they talk about their jobs and their lives. What makes them most upset is not the scarcity or cheapness of fish, but the fact that some people use electric shocks, folding cages, eight-sided traps, traps, etc. to catch fish to the point of extinction. This practice causes fish resources to rapidly deplete, tarnishing the image of honest fishermen who follow regulations, pay taxes in full, and preserve their traditional profession.

“Fishing like that is like killing your own profession,” said Ut Cuong sadly. “People are greedy for immediate profits without thinking about the future. If everyone does that, where will our children and grandchildren get fish and shrimp to live?” However, through each story, each morning cup of coffee, they still encourage each other: “As long as there is water in rivers and lakes, there will be fish and shrimp.” They understand that to preserve the profession, it requires not only human strength but also environmental protection awareness, along with the government’s determined involvement in preventing overexploitation.

Fishermen of Tri An Lake and Dong Nai River are accustomed to the rhythm of “sleeping during the day and staying awake at night”, clinging to boats and nets, attached to the water all year round. For them, fishing is not only a livelihood but also a memory and a source of pride for many generations of ancestors in this river region.

“Rivers, boats, and nets are our friends. We just hope that everyone will be aware of protecting aquatic resources in ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams. When everyone is responsible for their profession and knows how to preserve shrimp and fish for the future, this floating job on the water will no longer be a heavy worry,” said fisherman Thach Khuy, La Nga raft village, Dinh Quan commune.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/doi-song/bong-benh-song-nuoc-muu-sinh-i787567/