I feel sorry for the spotted catfish in the river.

Việt Nam•20/09/2023

There were countless numbers in the past.

In August (lunar calendar), the Mekong River's water flows in, turning the Mekong Delta red with silt. However, the water level hasn't risen sharply yet, and many fishermen are eagerly awaiting the flood to make a living. They prepare their boats, traps, and nets, just waiting for the water to rise above the shore so they can head out to the fields to catch fish and shrimp.

In the past, during major floods, natural aquatic resources were abundant. The spotted catfish (Pangasius gilli) reproduced in countless numbers. This species belongs to the catfish family. Locals call it the spotted catfish because it has two "congenital" black spots on its "ear-like" areas. They are distributed throughout the Mekong River basin, spanning four countries: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Vietnam, spotted catfish are found in the Tien River, Hau River, Vam Nao River, or in other deep, fast-flowing waters.

Mr. Lam Van Hoang (Hai Hoang, residing in My Hoa Hung commune, Long Xuyen city ), a professional deep-water fisherman, reminisced: "About 20 years ago, this species of fish proliferated greatly. When floods came, they often took refuge in sections of the river with whirlpools or eroded bays. However, spotted catfish are omnivorous, cunning, and very difficult to catch."

To catch spotted catfish, the group of divers had to use a large cast net to "trap" the fish right in the whirlpool. Then, they carefully took a deep breath and dived straight to the riverbed to gather the net, fearing the fish might escape. "If you stand on the boat and pull the net headfirst, you probably won't catch them. When they encounter the fishing gear, spotted catfish are so clever that they know to dive close to the ground to find a way to escape," Hai Hoang said.

According to him, in the past, few people ate small spotted catfish because their flesh was soft and not tasty. People mainly ate larger fish weighing 5-10 kg, because the meat was very firm and delicious. To catch them, besides casting nets and using gillnets, people also devised a method of fishing with hooks. The preferred bait for spotted catfish was mainly ripe Siamese bananas mixed with roasted rice bran.

Increasingly rare

Nowadays, the spotted catfish is becoming increasingly rare in the wild due to overfishing using electric shock. Especially around May (lunar calendar), the breeding season for many fish species, electric trawling boats "sweep" the river, causing a sharp decline in aquatic resources. To survive, the spotted catfish must seek refuge in deeper sections of the river, ideally in the Vam Nao River area.

Furthermore, they often stay deep at the bottom of fishermen's fish rafts to take shelter and feed on scattered bait. Knowing this habit, many anglers cast their lines and wait for the fish to bite, but mostly catch only tiny fish the size of a fist. "Large spotted catfish are very clever. At first, we caught a few, but later, this species of fish stopped biting even when we used 'good bait' like pig intestines, chicken intestines, shrimp, and prawns..." – revealed Mr. Bay Tam (an angler in My Hoa Hung commune).

The spotted catfish is becoming increasingly rare in the wild, so its price ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 VND/kg, higher than some other catfish species such as pangasius, snakehead, and basa. Many people have also come up with ways to raise this species alongside pangasius in ponds. However, farmed spotted catfish does not have the same delicious taste as wild spotted catfish.

Mr. Tung (a fisherman who casts his nets on the Vam Nao River) said: "Farmed spotted catfish, living in stagnant water, have a seaweed smell when cooked. Wild spotted catfish, on the other hand, live year-round in flowing water, so their flesh is white, firm, and delicious, only slightly inferior to wild spotted catfish."

Customers wanting to eat spotted catfish weighing 5-10kg have to order in advance from the fishermen to even have a chance of enjoying this river fish. This is because this species is currently scarce, and restaurants and eateries are competing to buy it to prepare and serve to customers. The other day, we came across a plump, white spotted catfish wriggling in a basin belonging to Ms. Tuyen (a fish vendor at the riverbank near the O Moi ferry). In just a split second, someone bought it.

“The fish weighs 5kg and costs 120,000 VND/kg. People buy it to make fish sauce hotpot. These days, spotted catfish are very rare. Occasionally, fishermen catch a big one in their nets,” Ms. Tuyen said cheerfully.

River catfish can be prepared in many delicious dishes, such as: fish sauce hotpot, sour hotpot, dipped in fermented rice sauce, grilled, braised in light sauce, braised with pepper, braised with fermented soybean paste, and fried fresh… Each dish has its own unique and delicious flavor, but the fish must be fresh.

Among them, the most popular is undoubtedly thinly sliced river catfish dipped in fermented fish sauce hotpot. The fragrant aroma of the fermented fish sauce blends with the rich, fatty meat of the catfish, leaving a lasting impression on diners. The next dish is catfish fillet cooked in a sour hotpot, served with fresh rice noodles.

To make the soup even more special, use the water from firm Siamese coconuts, along with spices, tamarind, lemongrass, chili peppers, sawtooth coriander, culantro, and basil. Once it starts boiling, quickly lift the lid. Pick up a piece of firm, perfectly cooked fish and dip it in the fish sauce mixed with chili peppers; the sweet, sour, and spicy flavors will tingle on your tongue, leaving you longing for this rustic dish.

LUU MY

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