The craft of mending fishing nets and making rakes in coastal areas.

During the fishing season or the months when boats are docked for refurbishment, repairs, and new fishing gear, the people in Cang Hamlet, Tran De Commune, who work as net menders and trawlers, are constantly busy.

The team of mechanics repairs and makes trawls according to the requirements of the fishing boat owner.

The people in Luoi hamlet, Cang village, don't know exactly when the craft of mending fishing nets and making rakes originated, only that some families have been involved in the trade for generations.

Having spent more than half his life mending fishing nets and making rakes, Mr. Bui Van Hon, nearly 60 years old, said: “Mending nets and making rakes is the main source of livelihood for some people here. Making rakes is hard work, so the workers are mainly young men and older men, earning around 250,000 VND per day, with lunch provided. Thanks to regular work, my family has enough to eat and wear, and we can provide for our children's education.”

Every day, starting at 7 a.m., groups of workers gather at the harbor. Depending on their skill level, each person takes on the task of threading eyelets, attaching lead weights, making floating beams, or laying ropes… According to Mr. Duong Van Nghia, from Cang Hamlet, repairing a trawl net over 200 meters long takes about 10 days of work, while making a new trawl takes about half a month to complete. The job of making and repairing trawls is not difficult; newcomers diligently learn the trade from experienced, skilled workers, and through this process of apprenticeship, they become proficient.

Mr. Nghia has been working in this profession for over 10 years. Thanks to his skillful wire-laying technique, when the team of workers is assigned to make a new rake, he always takes on the wire-laying task, earning a higher wage than other tasks, at 400,000 VND per day.

The job of mending fishing nets provides a regular source of income for the people of Tran De coastal area.

While young men and older men work repairing rakes, the majority of women mend fishing nets. Ms. Thanh Tuyen, from Cang Hamlet, shared: “Mending fishing nets is easy to learn and do, but to mend a net securely and beautifully, you have to be meticulous with every stitch. A net-mending worker must be sharp-eyed and careful to find the torn parts of the net to repair, ensuring that the knots are strong and won't come undone or break when the net is full of fish. The work of mending nets is simple and light, with working hours from 7 am to about 4 pm. If women are willing to learn the trade, they can get regular work or use their free time to earn income.”

For over 12 years, Dang Bong has worked as a net repairer and rake maker, earning the trust of contractors thanks to her skill and meticulousness. “Damaged rakes are handled by contractors who then distribute the work to groups of workers. Depending on the condition of the net, the workers divide the tasks of repairing the net, attaching floats, and edging the net… The net repair job provides an income of 300,000-350,000 VND per day, which helps me cover my family's living expenses,” Ms. Bong shared.

Mending fishing nets and repairing rakes has always been the main source of livelihood for Ms. Bong's family. For many years, Ms. Bong's relatives have diligently preserved the craft and passed it down to their children and grandchildren.

According to Mr. Le Hoai Thuong, a fishing boat owner in Tran De, fishing trips can last from 10 days to a month, but some boats may stay out at sea for 3-6 months before returning to shore. After fishing trips, the trawl nets and fishing gear deteriorate. If they cannot return to shore immediately, or if they encounter schools of fish requiring urgent net repair, the boat owner sends the damaged trawl nets to other boats to be brought ashore and hires repair crews. Skilled crews are trusted by the boat owner and maintain many business relationships. With hundreds of fishing boats of all sizes in the area, fishing year-round, net repairers and trawl makers have work almost every day.

The income of those who mend nets and trawls depends on the favorable weather conditions for the fishermen. The last months of the year, up to around April of the following lunar year, are the peak fishing season for fishing boats. When the weather is favorable, the sea is calm, and the boats return with holds full of shrimp and fish, it is also the time when those who mend nets and trawls become busy earning a living and increasing their income...

Text and photos: XUAN NGUYEN

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/nghe-va-luoi-lam-cao-o-xu-bien-a200168.html