Anchovy catch unexpectedly found in Mui Ne

The April sun shone like poured honey. Along the Mui Ne coastline, countless tiny, glistening, firm anchovies were gathered ashore by fishermen. “10 baskets – 50 baskets – 100 baskets…” – the counting grew louder, occasionally interspersed with the “ha… ha” laughter of Ms. Le Thi My, a local fish trader, indicating a bountiful catch of anchovies.

Anchovies are gathered ashore and transported for sale.

Each compartment was full of fish.

It was only 7 a.m., but the atmosphere at Bai Truoc beach (Ward 7 - Mui Ne commune) was already bustling. The sound of waves and the salty smell of fresh fish mingled with shouts of "Fish coming in! Fish coming in!" Every few dozen meters, groups of people sat on the shore, waiting with hopeful eyes. As soon as they saw the slow-moving fishing boats approaching from afar, without a word, they all jumped up. As if pre-arranged, groups of people rolled up their trousers and waded through the water towards the boats. They carried baskets full of anchovies, neatly arranging them on the shore. Along the beach, trucks were parked in rows, waiting to load their cargo for transport...

Ms. Pham Thi Phuoc, a boat owner who fishes in Mui Ne, was equally eager. It had been a long time since her family's boat had such a bountiful catch, with baskets of fish being brought ashore one after another. With her sturdy build, kind heart, and cheerful face, Ms. Phuoc nimbly recorded each batch of fish being weighed. Surrounding her, groups of fishermen busily sorted and passed baskets of fish onto trucks, transporting them to the fish steaming facilities. Everyone was drenched in sweat, but their faces beamed with the bounty of the sea.

It's not just fishermen; freelance workers like Mr. Huynh Van An, a fish carrier in the Mui Ne coastal area, also earn between 300,000 and 500,000 VND per day, enough to cover their living expenses.

Long-time local fishermen believe that, normally, after the Lunar New Year, there would be a large influx of anchovies in the waters around Mui Ne. But the second lunar month has passed... and then suddenly, schools of anchovies appeared. This "blitz" in the sea lasted longer than usual, bringing relief to the fishermen, as if they were bringing back a season of joy.

Hearing the term "lóng" (a type of fishing) sounded strange to us, so Ms. My explained further: "Lóng" here refers to a continuous fishing season. Having been at this beach every day, Ms. My recounted fluently: "In the past few days, every boat fishing for anchovies has had a successful season. Some boats get 12-15 tons a day, while others get 1-2 tons. The price of fish has decreased compared to the beginning of the season, from over 30,000 VND/kg to around 19,000-22,000 VND/kg, but thanks to the high yield, the fishermen are still making a good profit. Over the past 10 days, each crew member has shared between a few million and tens of millions of VND, which is very exciting for the start of the southern fishing season."

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For more than half a month now, anchovies have been appearing in abundance in the waters off Mui Ne. Although it's later than usual this year, we are very happy that the sea has given us such a bountiful catch.

Ms. Pham Thi Phuoc - a delighted boat owner.

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The fishing village of Mui Ne has long been famous for its export-quality dried anchovies and fish sauce. As fisherman Nguyen Ngoc Dai (Ward 8, Mui Ne) recounts: “More than 20 years ago, boats could harvest tons of anchovies just a few nautical miles out at sea. Especially from April to September in the lunar calendar, when the fish were abundant, any boat engaged in trawling would strike it rich. At that time, the yield was so high that besides supplying fish sauce producers, they also steamed and dried the fish for sale on the market.” Now, this type of fish follows specific schools and appears unexpectedly. Some days, 50-70 fishing boats can catch hundreds of tons of anchovies, but other days only a few. Therefore, going out to sea each day no longer feels as "victorious" as before.

To prove this point, we followed the trucks carrying anchovies to the steaming facilities not far away. The salty steam rising from the steamers mingled with the distinctive aroma of freshly cooked anchovies. The bubbling of boiling water, the gentle clanging of the anchovy racks, and the shouts of the workers created a bustling and lively atmosphere.

Mr. Dang Van Loc, the owner of anchovy steaming facility in Mui Ne, is busy instructing his workers on how to evenly distribute the anchovies in the sun. Mr. Loc, who has been involved in this profession for over 20 years, shared: “The secret to preserving the flavor of anchovies is to select medium-sized, uniformly sized fish, clean them thoroughly, and steam them using filtered seawater without any chemical additives, allowing the scent of the sea to permeate every fiber of the fish. Each tray is placed in the steamer for 10-15 minutes to ensure the fish is cooked through, retaining its original color and characteristic flavor. Afterward, the fish is taken out to the drying area, exposed to the sun and sea breeze for 3-5 hours until dry and fragrant.”

Recalling the golden age of the fishing industry, Mr. Loc recounted: “When seafood was abundant, there were hundreds of anchovy processing facilities along the Mui Ne fishing village. Laborers from all over flocked to work there, and the fish steaming ovens were always burning brightly, operating at full capacity day and night, sometimes affecting the environment due to the smell. At that time, both the facility owners and the workers earned a decent income.”

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Partly out of love for the profession, and because the market for dried anchovies is always booming and prices are stable, I try to maintain the steamed anchovy processing facility, which also helps create jobs for workers who have been involved for a long time. Who knows, the sea might reward me with something as abundant as this sea.

Mr. Loc, the owner of the steaming facility, shared:

After being steamed, the anchovies are dried in the sun.

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Now, there are only about 30-40 steaming facilities concentrated in wards 5 and 12 of Mui Ne, including his. Why does he still stick with this profession despite the difficulties? - we wondered. "In recent years, due to the high density of coastal fishing, with year-round fishing, the marine resources in general and anchovies in particular have gradually decreased," explained Mr. Nguyen Van Chien, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment.

Therefore, the continuous appearance of anchovies in recent days, not only in the Mui Ne sea area but also in the La Gi area, is a welcome sign. Fishermen engaged in trawling and aquaculture hope that during the upcoming main southern fishing season, anchovies will be more abundant, helping them have a bountiful catch from the sea's bounty.

According to fishermen, there are many types of anchovies, such as black-striped anchovies, pepper-striped anchovies, white anchovies, red anchovies, and small anchovies... Although anchovies are small in size, they have very high nutritional value. Fresh anchovies contain many minerals and are very good for health. In addition, anchovies are a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for the cardiovascular system and brain...

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/long-ca-com-bat-ngo-o-mui-ne-437756.html