As the bounty of the sea gradually diminishes…

(Baoquangngai.vn) - Although it is currently the season for harvesting rice snails (also known as periwinkle snails), fishermen in the coastal communes of Mo Duc are not very enthusiastic about going out to sea to collect snails because the snail population has decreased sharply this year. Fishermen are facing a disappointing snail season as the "bounty of the sea" dwindles.

At this time of year, the sea off Duc Minh commune (Mo Duc district) is usually bustling with boats heading out to sea to harvest rice snails. However, this year, the atmosphere is quite subdued. The amount of snails this year is much lower than in previous years, forcing many fishermen to choose other fishing methods to make a living.

The Duc Minh sea area is considered the "capital" of rice snails, but this year, harvesting activity there has been quite quiet.

Sitting and rearranging his fishing gear after a trip out to sea, fisherman Vo Van Tinh from Duc Minh commune shared that, although the peak fishing season has been underway for nearly two months, the snail yield this year is too low. Each trip out to sea, each boat only catches a few dozen kilograms of snails, whereas last year, each trip could yield 500 to 700 kilograms. Not only has the yield decreased sharply, but the snails this year are also smaller than in previous years. Therefore, we fishermen are not going out to sea to harvest them.

Every year, rice snails appear in abundance, but this year the number of rice snails in the sea area of ​​Duc Minh commune is very low.

Rice snails, also known as small snails or shell snails, are considered a "gift from the sea" bestowed by nature upon fishermen in the coastal areas of Quang Ngai province in general, and those in the coastal areas of Mo Duc district in particular. The sea area of ​​Duc Minh commune is especially known as the "capital" of rice snails in Mo Duc district.

The rice snail season lasts from the beginning of January to the end of March according to the lunar calendar each year. During the snail season, hundreds of fishermen in the coastal communes of Mo Duc district switch from catching squid and fish to collecting snails because the income from snails is higher. The snail collecting work usually starts early in the morning, and by around 11-12 noon, the fishermen bring the snails ashore to sell to traders.

Even during the rice snail season, fishermen still stick with net fishing to make a living.

"Every year, during the snail season, after deducting expenses, fishermen can earn between 1.5 and 3 million VND per person per day. This year, however, even though the price of snails has risen to 30,000 VND per kilogram, the snails are too scarce, resulting in low income from snail harvesting. This year's snail season can be considered a failure," expressed fisherman Tran Thanh Son from Duc Minh commune.

According to many fishermen, along with the impacts of climate change, one of the reasons for the sharp decline in the number of rice snails this year is overfishing. In previous years, during the harvesting season, the number of boats engaged in snail trawling in the Mo Duc sea area reached nearly a hundred, with hundreds of fishermen from both within and outside the locality participating, resulting in very intense harvesting. Each day, the amount of snails harvested could reach tens of tons and be transported to provinces and cities for consumption.

It is worth noting that, with the method of harvesting using iron nets to scrape the seabed, not only large snails but also small ones are being over-harvested. This has reduced the snail species' ability to regenerate, causing production to decline steadily.

Overexploitation is one of the reasons for the sharp decline in the rice snail population.

To sustainably maintain and develop the rice snail resource, fishermen need to adopt rational exploitation methods, combined with the protection and regeneration of aquatic resources, instead of exploiting in a haphazard manner as in the past. Local authorities and relevant agencies also need to get involved in managing and monitoring exploitation activities to ensure that this "bounty of the sea" is not depleted, helping fishermen have a stable life and sustainable development.

Text and photos: LINH DAN

Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/kinh-te/bien-kinh-te-bien/202504/khi-loc-bien-voi-dan-5a24a8d/