Chau chose to fish for bee fish near the shore.

After casting nets near the shore, Mr. Vo Chau in Phong Hai commune (Phong Dien) goes fishing near the shore. Almost every day he catches more than 5kg of sea bee fish. This season, sea fish is scarce and fresh, so it sells for a good price. In addition to fishing for food, Mr. Chau earns several hundred thousand dong a day.

Mr. Chau said that after days of rough seas, there are many species of fish such as bee fish, mullet fish, and bươi fish that come close to shore. Standing on the shore and using a fishing rod is not as dangerous as using a boat to go out to sea and cast nets and lines. Fishing tools and equipment are also simple, just a bamboo fishing rod, fishing line, a few dozen hooks, worth a few hundred thousand dong.

Not everyone fishes near the shore, but often uses boats to cast nets to catch more fish. Each fishing trip after days of strong seas often brings in dozens of kilograms of various types of fish, earning several million VND. Casting nets for many consecutive days can earn tens of millions to several tens of millions of VND.

Making millions of dollars at sea is not easy. At this time, the tide is unusually high and low and not really “calm”, so sailing out to sea is very difficult and dangerous. Each time “waiting for the waves” to get out to sea, it takes an hour. Some boats “waiting for the waves” for a long time but still cannot get out to sea, and have to be brought back to shore. Many boats unfortunately sink when encountering fierce waves.

The result of a bee fishing trip in the evening

Growing up and living in the coastal area for decades, Mr. Vo Chau has witnessed many dangerous scenes when fishermen exploit seafood in coastal areas during rough seas. Every time their boat sinks, fishermen pay attention to protecting their lives, despite the fact that their bamboo boat, their valuable asset, is destroyed by the waves, and their nets and tools are damaged, causing tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dong in damage.

The good news is that up to now, nearshore fishing activities by boat in the coastal areas of Ngu Dien in general and Phong Hai in particular have not caused any loss of life. Through these times of “waiting on the waves”, the spirit of solidarity, mutual support and mutual assistance in times of trouble is also very high.

Every time a boat “waiting for the waves” goes out to sea, dozens, sometimes hundreds of people gather on the shore, ready to rescue any boat in distress. When all the boats are out of the white-capped waves, the fishermen on the shore disperse. And they keep track of the time to continue to the beach to wait for the boat to come ashore, to help bring the boat ashore, especially to rescue any boat in distress, or when the boat sinks due to the waves.

More dangerous is the job of "dredging along the shore" to catch mullet and bupleurum. This job usually requires at least two people, one person stands on the shore to support, while the other has to swim far away to catch the bupleurum, which is potentially risky. This job was once very popular, but now it has become less popular because of the danger. In Phong Hai commune a few years ago, there was a drowning incident when the waves swept away the person while catching bupleurum during the rough sea season.

According to Mr. Vo Chau, after each strong sea storm, the source of seafood near the shore is often abundant. This is a livelihood opportunity for fishermen in coastal areas. And almost all nearshore fishing professions have many potential risks of unsafety. Therefore, fishermen must be extremely vigilant and proactive in responding when fishing near the shore.

When setting traps for fish and casting nets near the shore, fishermen must wear life jackets with lifebuoys and travel in large groups to support each other in case of an accident. In particular, when feeling that the sea is not really safe for fishing activities, they should not risk taking their boats out to sea. Both the "dredge" and "netting" jobs near the shore require even more caution.

Chairman of Phong Hai Commune People's Committee (Phong Dien), Mr. Hoang Van Suu shared that the local government always assigns officials to be in charge of villages, coordinating with village chiefs to pay attention to the fishing activities of fishermen during the stormy season. Even after the stormy season, the waves are not really safe, the locality absolutely does not allow people to go to sea. Fishing and "dragging" close to shore are encouraged, but fishermen are advised to be vigilant and ensure their safety.

Article and photos: Hoang The