Clam Canal

Bustling activity on the canal.

Early in the morning, following the Mac Can Dung canal that runs through the communes of Can Dang, Vinh Hanh, and Vinh An, one can easily spot many motorboats raking and harvesting clams. Decades ago, people only knew how to use bamboo poles with attached nets to rake for clams. They had to immerse themselves in the canal, working hard, but the harvest was not much. Now, people have invested in equipment and larger boats to harvest clams in much larger quantities. Mr. Tran Thanh Tam, the owner of a clam raking boat along the canals, said that when he was a child, he used to follow his father on a boat raking for clams by hand. When the weather turned cold, everyone's hands and feet would freeze, and the clam harvest was only a few hundred kilograms! Now, with a rake equipped with a powerful motor, a single morning's work on the canals can yield more than 1 ton of clams. Mr. Tam said that he earns more than 1 million dong a day after deducting expenses.

Washing clams for weighing for small traders.

The clam-dredging boats look quite simple. At the back is a heavy iron frame with a net bag attached. Each time the boat passes, it digs about 40 centimeters deep into the mud, trapping the mollusks. After traveling a few hundred meters, a crane at the back of the boat pulls the net bag up to the platform, moving it back and forth underwater, then emptying the clams into a large basin. The fishermen then begin sorting and classifying them. Mr. Tam explains that the net bag contains a jumble of clams, clam shells, snail shells, and other debris. Therefore, it takes three people to sort the clams quickly. After sorting, the clams are loaded into the boat's hold. In this way, the clam dredgers glide through the canals, dredging until the boat is full, then they dock to weigh the clams for the traders.

Year-round income

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Loi (a professional clam gatherer), it seems like there are people gathering clams in the canal almost every day. This is because the demand for clams from traders increases daily. Many people say that the Mac Can Dung canal has the most clams because the water flowing from the river deep into the inland areas creates a favorable breeding environment for these mollusks. In many sections of the canal, fishermen gather clams day after day, yet there are still plenty left.

In the afternoon, visiting a clam purchasing dock, we saw dozens of trawling boats anchored, scooping up clams to weigh for traders, creating a bustling scene. The sound of water pumps and the rustling of clam sieves filled the canal with noise. Sitting in a makeshift shelter watching the workers weigh the clams, Mr. Tran Van Quyen (49 years old, residing in Vinh An commune) confided: “Every day, I buy tens of tons of freshwater clams. Thanks to this job, the people have a stable income.” He said that bulk clams are priced at 2,000 VND/kg, and on average, each trawling boat harvests about 1-2 tons, earning over 1 million VND after deducting all expenses. At times, freshwater clams are sold in bulk for 3,000-4,000 VND, providing the people with a fairly high income, so they don't need to go to big cities to work as laborers.

According to Mr. Quyen, the profession of raking for clams using boats equipped with powerful engines has been popular for over 10 years, since coastal fishermen started using freshwater clams as food for tiger prawns. Therefore, the clam raking profession has flourished until now. Freshwater clams are considered a highly nutritious food source for tiger prawns.

Besides the Mac Can Dung canal, trawlers roam the branches of Canals 5, 7, 9, and 10 to harvest clams. From here, the clams travel everywhere, from the countryside to markets in the region, bringing a significant income to the people.

LUU MY

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/dong-kenh-hen-a423181.html