'Earn money in tears'

TPO - Although the flood season this year has come to the West earlier and higher than previous years, natural products are increasingly depleted, and there are many fishermen, so people who make a living during the flood season have to work hard day and night. "Doing this job, people on boats have to row and row all day and night, and even earning money makes me cry," said Le Van Thao, a person who makes a living by fishing nets at the headwaters of An Giang .

10/25/2024 | 11:49

TPO - Although the flood season this year has come to the West earlier and higher than previous years, natural products are increasingly depleted, and there are many fishermen, so people who make a living during the flood season have to work hard day and night. "Doing this job, people on boats have to row and row all day and night, and even earning money makes me cry," said Le Van Thao, a person who makes a living by fishing nets at the headwaters of An Giang.

At 2am on the last day of October, Mr. Le Van Thao (left) in Phu Hiep commune, Phu Tan district, (An Giang) woke up to prepare to go to the border fields to cast nets and fish. Mr. Thao and his group of friends cast nets and fished with 6 boats in tandem. The group woke up to light a fire to make tea and talk about fish sauce. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

Ms. Lu Thi Phan (61 years old) checks her fishing gear before casting it into the water. Despite her advanced age, Ms. Phan is acknowledged by the group as being as skilled at casting nets as young people. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

Mr. Ta Van Ut checks fishing gear before setting the net. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

At nearly 3am, it was still dark, people began to spread out in many directions on the vast fields with only water to cast their nets. In the photo, Mr. Le Van Thuan and his wife, Mrs. Truong Ngoc Hien, cast their nets. Mr. Thuan, wearing a flashlight, stood behind the boat, rowing the boat to illuminate the way for his wife to sit and cast her net at the front of the boat. Mrs. Hien skillfully cast the net from one hand to another. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

The border area at the headwaters of the Mekong River, bordering Cambodia, is one of the first places where fish "enter" Vietnam, also known as the "navel of fish". Photo: Hoa Hoi.

At around 5am, the sun gradually appeared on the horizon, the water surface shimmered with gold and silver, which was also the time when the boats in Mr. Thao's group had finished spreading their nets on their boats and gathered at the meeting point to rest. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

After setting up the boat, everyone rowed back to the pre-arranged spot to chat happily and have breakfast. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

Mr. Ta Van Ut took the opportunity to surf the internet. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

Mr. Ta Van Thuong - Mr. Ut's son - went to the field to check the net and harvest the results. Taking advantage of the flood season, people in the border area stay up all night to cast nets and fish to harvest natural products to earn extra income. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

On average, people catch 1-2kg of loach every day, sometimes they catch 3-4kg but that is very rare, selling for 120,000 VND/kg. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

In recent years, the flood season has seen fewer and fewer fish, due to the dense layering of nets and trawlers, not to mention trawlers and electric fishing, so aquatic resources are increasingly depleted, just like the floods in the delta are becoming less and less due to upstream hydropower dams blocking the flow. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

On each boat, each person has enough kitchen utensils such as rice cooker, rice, stove, gas stove, instant noodles, tubers... to serve long-term life on the water. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

As for the salty dishes, there are shrimp, fish caught from the fields, water lily, water mimosa, and water mimosa... also available in the fields, so there is always something missing in the meal. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

A meal in the middle of the flood. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

After 30 minutes of cooking, breakfast on Mrs. Hien's boat with braised fish and soup; next to it is Mrs. Phan's boat with fried dried fish, braised fish with vegetables; and Mr. Ta Van Ut's boat with fried dried fish, braised fish, vegetables... Photo: Hoa Hoi.

After finishing his meal, Mr. Le Van Thao sat down to rest. He lamented: "This year there are few fish, sometimes there are good ones, sometimes there are bad ones, only a few hundred thousand. Working in this job on a boat, people rowing and paddling day and night, earning money makes me cry." Photo: Hoa Hoi

People place bamboo traps on a vast water field in the border area of ​​An Giang. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

At around 9am, the group spread out to check the nets and finished around 3pm, then brought the fish to the new floating markets set up at the beginning of the flood season to sell to traders, finishing around 4pm. Photo: Hoa Hoi.

Peace

Source: https://tienphong.vn/muu-sinh-mua-nuoc-noi-kiem-duoc-dong-tien-roi-nuoc-mat-post1685412.tpo